Threat to Society
by SilverEyeShinobi
Summary: Sixteen year old Toby Andrews lives in the newly restored Empire City with his mother, and he lives an ordinary life. But the sudden return of the father he never knew and a freak accident that results in electrical powers, Toby must stand on his own two feet and prove that super humans are no threat to society. Sequel to Blue Amps, Crimson Volts.
1. Chapter 1: Tales of Heroes

**A/N: This is a sequel to my first inFAMOUS story, **_**Blue Amps, Crimson Volts**_**. It has nothing to do with inFAMOUS 2, as it's based on inFAMOUS 1 alone. And although it is a sequel, it contains almost no material from the first one, so you can actually read this one as a standalone if you really wanted to.**

Threat to Society

Summary: Sixteen year old Toby Andrews lives in the newly restored Empire City with his mother, and he lives an ordinary life. But the sudden return of the father he never knew and a freak accident that results in electrical powers, Toby must stand on his own two feet and prove that super humans are no threat to society. Sequel to Blue Amps, Crimson Volts.

Chapter 1: Tales of Heroes

**21 years ago...**

_A massive blast tore though the Historic District of Empire City. Thousands were killed all in a matter of seconds. Shortly afterwards, a man named Cole MacGrath woke up in the middle of the crater. He never stopped to think about what had happened. He simply fled for the Neon with his friend Zeke._

_Cole wound up in the hospital with severe burns. In Empire City, a plague struck, causing the government of the United States to put up the Quarantine around the city. Nobody was to leave, and nobody was to enter. The remaining citizens of Empire City were left to suffer in the aftermath of the event they called the Blast._

_However, Cole MacGrath, the man who had woken up in the middle of the crater, was having his own dramatic developments. He woke up one morning with electricity sparking from his hands. He didn't know what was happening, but over the next few days, he learned how to control this new and mysterious power. Once that was settled, Cole MacGrath focused on using his power for the good of the city._

_Within the span of a few weeks, Cole MacGrath became Empire City's big hero._

**16 years ago...**

_The Quarantine had been dropped five years after the Blast in Empire City. Government aid finally entered the city, causing the hero Cole MacGrath to stop using his power. As the government aided cleanup in the city, Cole merely played the role of an ordinary citizen, hiding his powers from government forces._

_However, two weeks after the quarantine was dropped, Cole MacGrath was forced to reveal his powers in front of the government forces when a large group of Dust Men attempted to attack the citizens. The forces attempted to take down the Dust Men, but they had been failing miserably. Cole had to step in, or let the gang break through their only line of defence and start killing citizens._

_Unfortunately, as soon as the battle was over, the government attempted to capture him. For the moment, Cole MacGrath escaped, but he seemed to know the government would never let his existence slide. Fearing for his life, Cole prepared to leave Empire City forever._

"_Cole!" Nita cried. "Cole, where are you going?"_

"_I have to get out of the city, Nita. I'm sorry."_

_Nita shook her head. "No!" She cried. "After all of this you're just going to leave?"_

"_Nita...I..." Cole bit his lip. "I'm afraid, Nita."_

_Nita frowned. "Why? Why are you afraid, Cole?"_

"_The government knows about my power." Cole stated. "I'm afraid of what they're going to do with me."_

_Nita nodded slowly. "All right. Just...Please stay safe."_

"_That's why I'm leaving Nita."_

_Nita wiped several tears off her face and stepped towards Cole, pulling him into a hug. Cole hugged her back. Five years ago when she had met him, Cole never would've done that, still in irrevocable love with his deceased girlfriend Trish. But in that span of five years, something had grown between them. She loved him, and he grew to love her._

"_I love you." She whispered._

"_You too."_

_Then Cole MacGrath was gone._

**Present day...**

"Toby!"

I opened my eyes slowly, wishing I could go back to sleep. But I knew mom wouldn't hear of it.

"Toby! Up you get! You're going to be late for school!"

I rolled out of bed, shoving the covers aside. I ran my hand through my messy dark brown hair and headed downstairs just to humour mom. I wanted to sleep in, but mom always insisted that I get to school on time, every morning. Yeah I mean, I got it, but what's the big deal with me getting there two minutes before the bell anyway? If it meant I got to sleep in for another ten minutes, so be it. I would take the extra ten minutes of sleep.

I walked into the kitchen, glancing up at my mom who was watching the puny television mounted on the counter. The news was jabbering on about it being 'Cole MacGrath Day', this year being the 16th anniversary of the day the quarantine was dropped. That made no sense, considering Cole had first appeared 21 years ago after this event called 'the Blast', but I assumed they chose this day because nobody could come to an agreement on which day Cole MacGrath really appeared. Besides, what better day to celebrate your hero than the day the government stepped in to take over for your beloved hero? Mom told me tonnes of stories about Cole too. Apparently he could control electricity. Yeah, and pigs were flying as we speak. I didn't believe a damn word of that, but everyone old enough to remember the Blast _loved_ this Cole MacGrath dude. I'll believe that he was a hero, but I highly doubt the electrical power thing, regardless of how many people claim he had them. I'll believe it when I see it, you know?

Mom sighed. "Toby, you keep staring at the television with this evil look in your eyes."

I glanced at mom. She was frowning at me. She was right. I'd been glaring at the television for the last five minutes. But hey, I had a reason why.

"Everyone's going on about this Cole MacGrath guy every freaking year." I stated, stabbing my breakfast with my fork. "If he's such a big hero, where the hell is he?"

Mom was stone faced. "He left the city sixteen years ago." She stated.

I scoffed. "Well why did he do that? If I were the hero, I would've stuck around."

Mom's jaw clenched, as if she was upset that I was talking about her big hero this way.

"I'm sure he had his reasons." Mom stated, turning away from me. Wow. I guess I really made her mad that time, huh?

I finished my breakfast quickly, sensing I might've been in for a lecture. Seriously, those were the vibes rolling off mom right now. The odd thing was, she was very quick to lecture me on everything else, but whenever I questioned this Cole MacGrath person, she never sat me down and gave me a long talk. In fact, sometimes I saw pain in her eyes.

"Thanks for breakfast mom." I stated, washing my dishes up in the sink.

"You're welcome." Mom said stiffly.

I took that as my cue to leave, so I skedaddled from the room, got dressed, brushed my shaggy hair, and basically got ready for school. I stuffed my feet into my shoes and headed out the door. I missed my skateboard. I couldn't do it in the winter, so I was at a loss, especially since I was a bit upset at mom's reaction to me this morning. The grinding sound of the wheels on the tarmac always made me feel more at ease. I loved skateboarding. In the non-snowy months, I would put long hours in on the weekends at the skate park. I had gained the nickname Terminator Toby there because I was so fearless. I tried stunts that nobody else had the guts to try. Yes, I wiped out a lot, but it never hurt for more than about ten seconds, and by the time I had gone home, and seriously, this is the weirdest part, all of the evidence was gone. Seriously. I had face planted really badly once, skinning my palms and scraping my cheek across the concrete. Half an hour later, it was as if the fall hadn't happened. Yet another thing that earned me the title of Terminator Toby. Nothing stopped me, and if I got injured, the injuries just vanished into thin air.

"YO! Toby!"

I turned to see my self-proclaimed brother, and all around best buddy Mike running towards me. I stopped and waited for him to catch up.

"The whole worlds' gone bonkers again, huh?" Mike asked. "From the moment I was up, my parents have been jabbering away about this Cole MacGrath guy."

"Yeah." I agreed. "My mom gave me the evil eye just because I doubted him."

"What did you say?"

"I just asked if he's such a big hero, then where the hell is he, you know?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah I hear you man."

I glanced at store windows and brick walls that were plastered with images of Cole MacGrath. Some of them depicted him holding a lightning bolt like Zeus, and others just looked like comic book images. He was like a legend here. My generation, the people born after the event that was Cole MacGrath, were almost doubting he even existed. If our parents and grandparents weren't constantly insisting that he really saved the city, he would've vanished, becoming mere legend. It was weird though, because I had a feeling that was exactly what would happen. Once the last living memory of this Cole MacGrath guy died, it would slowly descend into urban legend, and then myth before perpetually disappearing as if he never existed.

When we arrived at school, I knew we were in for one hell of a day. My homeroom teacher, Mr. Patrick, pretty much declared himself a Cole MacGrath fan by taping pale blue tissue paper all around his wrists like it was electricity and shaving his head bald. He was the first person I noticed when Mike and I walked in the front of the school. The other teachers were laughing and saying how much they loved it.

"Wow." Mike stated once we were out of earshot. "Mr. Patrick really went all out huh?"

I merely shrugged, opening my locker and putting my coat inside.

...

Our science teacher had an entire lesson on electricity planned just for today. Every time he got the chance, he started jabbering on and on about Cole MacGrath and how he had somehow 'harnessed electrical energy and channelled it into his body, enabling him to do things normal humans couldn't'. Basically he turned electricity, something I had been really looking forward to learning about, into something I absolutely loathed. I was sick of hearing about Cole MacGrath. And frankly, so were my classmates. As soon as the teacher let us go do our work, the whispers broke out. One of the first things I heard was the word 'sick' and 'Cole MacGrath' in one sentence. All of us being stoic sixteen year olds, yeah. We all agreed. We were all sick of hearing about Cole MacGrath.

"I told my parents I was getting sick of it, and they yelled at me!" One girl whispered.

"I know." Another girl replied. "I mean, if this guy did exist and if he did have electrical powers, where are the pictures, and where are the videos? Why isn't he still here?"

"No idea." The first girl answered. "When I asked, my parents just said he mysteriously disappeared."

Hm...My mom had said he left the city. That would certainly explain why he 'disappeared' from the face of the earth. But I was still constantly curious. My mom never gave me any straight up answers. It's like when I asked her about my dad. I grew up without a dad. When I was younger, I would ask what happened to him, and she would always tell me she didn't know. As I grew up, I insulted him, saying he abandoned the family and she was horrified. She sat me down in a chair, and gave me a lecture, saying my father was a great man, and he deserved more respect from me. Then she told me to go to my room, and I was grounded for the rest of the night.

Still to this day, I had never been able to make sense of any of it. My father was gone, my mom not having the slightest clue what happened to him, but insisting he was great for not being there as I grew up. I asked mom to show me pictures of him once, and she said she didn't have any. She gave no reason, no nothing, just she didn't have any. She never even told me his name, changing the subject whenever I asked.

...

Last period of class was English. Damn, that was also bad. The teacher read to us from my mother's book. Yeah my mom has a book. It's called _What Happened inside Empire City's Quarantine_. And literally, the title summed it up. It was in fact, everything that happened inside the quarantine, starting from the event she called 'the Blast' and ending with the disappearance of the cities hero Cole MacGrath. It was the parts about Cole the teacher read. She even added a few things my mother left out, such as delving further into Cole's electric powers. Mom never really mentioned them in the book. I know, because I've read it. I had to do a project on the Quarantine last semester.

"Toby," Mike whispered from my left.

I looked towards him. "Yeah?" I whispered.

"I'm thinking about driving up to the ski hills this weekend. You in?"

"Heck yeah!" I grinned. If there was anything I loved more than skateboarding, it was snowboarding. Since Mike had gotten his drivers' licence over the summer, we'd been planning a trip up to the ski hills this winter.

Mike grinned. "This Saturday, okay?"

I nodded. "I'll let my mom know."


	2. Chapter 2: Inexplicable Occurences

Threat to Society

Chapter 2: Inexplicable Occurrences

The rest of the week passed smoothly after Cole MacGrath day was over. I had told mom about Mike's idea to go up to the ski hills this weekend, and she said it was a good idea. Thus, I pulled out my snowboard and my other equipment for shredding some serious powder and left it in the corner of my bedroom, getting psyched up every time I laid my eyes on it.

Thursday whipped by, and finally there was Friday.

There was a massive snowstorm on Friday that caused schools to close, including my school. Mike had planned for this snowstorm, and that was why he had chosen for us to drive up to the ski hills on Saturday. Mike gave me a call, checking to make sure we were still on for the weekend. I of course, said yes. I would never miss an opportunity to shred the slopes.

I was in the living room oiling the bottom of my snowboard when for some stupid, inexplicable reason, the doorbell rang. Who the freaking hell would be out in this weather? Mom thought the same thing, voicing it as she answered the door. I faintly heard the door open, and normally I wouldn't listen in on door conversations except I heard an unfamiliar male voice utter mom's name.

"Nita?"

My ears pricked up. Mom was silent for a moment.

"Yes." She stated.

Then I faintly heard 'It's me' from the same male voice. Mom was silent again.

"Oh my god..." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. A second later, I heard her sobbing. I felt a cold draft, telling me the door was still open. I didn't know what was going on, but I finished oiling my board and propped it up to dry, still feeling the cold draft.

"Mom!" I called. "The house is starting to freeze!" I knew she would get the joke. She used to do the same thing to me whenever I held the door open in the winter for too long. I heard the door close, followed by footsteps.

"Toby."

I turned towards mom to see her standing next to a man wearing a baseball cap. It was shading his face just slightly, so I couldn't quite make it out.

"I want you to meet somebody." She stated.

"Okay?" I watched the man curiously. He removed his hat. His face looked oddly familiar, but hey, I had no idea who it was. He was totally bald, maybe with a bit of dark stubble growing but that was about it. His eyes were watching me with a look of both curiosity, shock, and...fear? Confusion? All of the above?

"This is Cole MacGrath."

I was taken aback. "What?" I asked. Wasn't Cole MacGrath that hero guy? I thought he had disappeared. So why was he here?

"Toby, this is Cole MacGrath." Mom said again.

I was frowning in confusion. "Do you mean the hero guy, or somebody else?"

My mom smiled softly. "Yes, he is the hero of Empire City."

I stared at him in confusion. He was watching me as well. A weak smile curled his lips, but other than that there was nothing.

"But he's also your father."

I heard a faint ringing sound in my ears. The only reason I was still staring at the man was because I was in a state of shock. Hell, I was hardly even seeing him as my brain processed this information. This man was Cole MacGrath. This man was Empire City's hero. This man was my father.

I managed to look back at my mom, wondering if I looked just as stunned and confused as I felt.

"Come again?" I said faintly.

"This is your father, Toby."

I looked back at that Cole MacGrath guy. He still had that soft smile on his face. He looked nervous as well, as if he didn't know how to approach me. I tried to find something that would make me deny that he was my father, but I found nothing. The only thing I found was that he had the same storm cloud grey eyes as I did.

My emotions started to run wild as my shock faded away. I felt sad, happy, angry, and excited all at once. I felt sad because I had grown up without him. I never got to play ball like all the other boys. I only ever had mom, and all I had really wanted was a father. I was happy, because now I had my father. He was here right in front of me. I wanted to cry and hug him, thank him for coming home. I was angry, because he was never there. He was never there to be the strong dad and chase away the monsters under my bed when I was a kid, not to mention _he was never there_ in the first place. I was excited, because I knew that now that he was here, we could pick up as if he hadn't been gone at all. We could go on road trips, play ball, and he could finally be my father. I had my father back.

But all of these emotions were confusing. My hands trembled at my sides as I stared at this man. I didn't know what to say to him. I had an idea whipping through my brain, but I couldn't put it to words. I wanted to yell at him, and tell him how much I hated him because he was never there. But then there was that small, nagging feeling inside me that wanted to burst into tears and hug him. This was my father. This was my father, this was my father, _this was my father_. He'd never been here, and now he was. I didn't know what to do. So I improvised.

I turned away and grabbed my snowboard. I snapped up the jar of board oil and the dirty rag and whipped from the room as fast as I could.

"Toby!" Mom called after me.

I ignored her, heading into my room and closing the door. I propped my board against the wall and set down the jar of oil. I then collapsed against the door and sat down. My mind began to whirl around all of the things that mom had said about Cole MacGrath and my father. She had talked with such admiration about Cole just a few days ago, but she never gave any details about my father. She only ever said he was a good man. As I thought about it more and more, the holes started to fill in when I overlapped the two. It made sense.

There was a knock on my door. "Toby?" It was mom. "Can I come in please?"

I stood up. "I guess." I stated.

Mom walked into my room, watching me with concern. She closed the door behind me.

"Toby..." She said softly.

I stood in the middle of my bedroom floor, my arms crossed over my chest. I didn't give her an answer.

"Please come out and say something." She stated. "He's your father, Toby. He was-"

"Mom," I looked at the wall. "Just let me think."

Mom sighed. "All right, Toby. But he was just as surprised as you were. I think he wants to hear from you."

I ignored her. Mom eventually left the room. With my emotions running wild, I stayed in my room for the rest of the day.

...

The next morning, I still hadn't come to a consensus on what to do. When I walked into the kitchen, mom was already in there. So was Cole, or my father, whoever he was. I was still confused. Both of us stopped in our tracks, me freezing in my place, and Cole/dad freezing with a fork halfway to his mouth. After a moment, I moved first, heading for the fridge to grab a glass of orange juice.

"Good morning, Toby." Mom greeted.

I didn't respond. I just proceeded to mechanically start putting together my own breakfast. Mom had made some food already, so I snapped up my share and began eating it at the table. Mom joined me...us after a moment. The silence in the kitchen was deafening. It wasn't quite awkward silence when you wish someone would say something to get another conversation going. It was a nervous silence when everyone was too afraid to speak, thinking that the second someone made a sound, something horrible would happen. Good call. Because I think I was going to have an anxiety attack if someone said anything.

Just before I felt I would snap, the phone rang. I leapt up, grateful for something to do and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" I answered it.

_Toby! It's Mike! Are you ready to go yet? I'm on my way._

"I've just gotten up, Mike." I stated. "Um..." I quickly formed an estimate in my head. "Twenty minutes, okay?"

_Sure! I'll head over at...let's say nine?_

"Sounds good. I should be ready by then."

_Great. See ya!_

"Yup." I hung up the phone.

"Was that Mike dear?" Mom asked.

"Yeah." I stated, sitting back down. "He's coming over at nine to pick me up."

Mom nodded. "He's going snowboarding with one of his friends." She told Cole/dad.

I ignored her, my hand starting to shake as I forked my breakfast into my mouth as fast as I could. I had to get out of there. I was _freaking out_.

When I had finally fired back every last bite of food, I quickly washed my dishes and put them in the drying rack before rushing to my bedroom. I leaned against the door again, breathing heavily. I couldn't take this. This was too much to swallow. I was the son of _Cole MacGrath_. I was the son of Empire City's big hero. Cole MacGrath was my _dad_.

I continued to shake as I got dressed in warm layers of clothing. By the time I was packed and ready to go, Mike had arrived. I headed for the front door, ready to shred the slopes as I pulled on my boots. Just as I put my hand on the doorknob, mom spoke up.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye, dear?"

I looked up. Mom was standing there, but behind her, Cole/dad was there as well. He wasn't meeting my eyes, instead looking everywhere else.

"Bye." I stated. "See you tonight." I was about to head out the door when mom's voice stopped me again.

"Cole?"

I looked towards the man. He looked nervous as if he were thinking what to say. I didn't give him the chance. Without really thinking about it, I spoke the four words I had been thinking since mom first introduced me to him.

"You were never there."

Both mom and Cole froze. Before mom could say anything to stop me, I scrambled out the door. I knew I had said something very bad that would give me a lecture later, but hell. I couldn't stay. I knew if she had given me a lecture, I would've said more horrible things about Cole MacGrath. I was calling him Cole now. I'd decided. He didn't deserve the title of father from me. He had to earn it. I was afraid to say it, but it was the truth.

I threw my stuff into the back of Mike's car and plopped into the passenger seat.

"Yo, Toby! Ready to shred?" Mike asked enthusiastically.

I nodded. "Yeah." I buckled my seatbelt and he hit the accelerator, heading for the mainland.

...

It was about an hour long drive to the ski hills. Maybe a bit more. Regardless, I was totally prepared for a mind numbing experience of pure snow shredding. And boy, that's what we did. Mike and I raced our boards down the double diamond hill. We did tricks and jumps and everything you could do on a snowboard. The sun was totally gone, stars twinkling in the wintry sky by the time we got back into the car. As Mike pulled out of the parking lot, what I was going home to hit me again like a ton of bricks. Mike sensed the change in my mood almost immediately.

"You feeling okay, brother?" He asked.

I considered telling him what had happened. He was my best friend. I could trust him with anything. Yeah. I decided to tell him everything.

"Yesterday my mom introduced a man to me." I stated. "His name was Cole MacGrath."

"The hero guy?" Mike's eyes were wide.

"Yeah. The very same one."

"Wow, so he exists?"

I nodded slowly.

"Does he have electric powers?"

"I don't know!" I cried angrily.

Mike flinched. "Sorry, man."

I took a deep breath and sighed. "He's my father."

"He's your what?" Mike asked disbelievingly.

"He's my dad."

"Whoa, so you're saying the hero of Empire City is your old man?"

I looked at my feet. "I guess so."

"Man, no wonder you're so out of it." He stated. "Not only is some guy we doubted even existed is your father, but you finally met him after all these years."

"I know." I stated. "That's why I'm so confused. I don't know what to do, Mike."

"Neither would I." Mike sighed. "But who knows? Maybe it'll all work out."

"Yeah...Maybe..." I murmured.

Just then, a car on the incoming side of the road skidded slightly. Mike twisted the wheel, turning his car away from the vehicle. His car hit a patch of ice and started to slide.

"Whoa!" Mike cried. He turned the wheel again, trying to get the car back under control. Nothing doing. I grabbed onto the seat desperately as the car continued to spin. Just then, the world dropped out from under us as the car rolled into a ditch. The momentum caused it to flip. Mike and I thrashed around in the car as the car continued to roll. In slow motion, I saw a chain link fence with a yellow sign depicting a black lightning bolt with the words 'Warning: keep out. High voltage' written on it. Then we crashed through the fence before colliding with something I knew we shouldn't have collided with. I only had a second to think about that as the windows shattered and electrical sparks shot all over the car. A high pitched humming sound rolled through the air just as a long, blue tongue of electricity reached into the car and slammed into my body. I screamed as the high voltage electricity burned my skin and sent my muscles into convulsions. Next thing I knew, I blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3: Electric Insanity

Threat to Society

Chapter 3: Electric Insanity

My eyes cracked open. I gasped, crying out as pain flared through my entire body. The events of what just happened rushed back to me faster than my foggy brain could process it. Mike's car had spun out on ice and we had flipped over, and crashed. But where had we crashed?

"Mike..." I whispered, my voice thick. "Mike, are you there?" I turned towards my friend to see him slumped over the steering column. I reached towards him and shook him gently. "Mike..." I whispered.

Mike gave no response.

Slowly, very slowly I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached towards Mike again. I pushed him off the steering column, seeing the deflated airbag. So they _had_ activated. Shame they did absolutely nothing during the roll over. I looked at Mike and in the faint light I could see dark lines running down his face. I reached into the glove compartment for a flashlight and pulled it out. I turned it on and froze.

Mike...Blood covered his face, and his eyes were wide and staring.

"Mike..." I whispered. I reached for his wrist and pressed my fingers against it. I adjusted my grip several times, my eyes getting wider and wider every time.

I couldn't find a pulse. He wasn't breathing either.

"Mike..." I gasped. "Mike no..." I leaned away from him, pressing myself against my door.

_Bzzzzt_

I screamed, electricity slamming into my body. As the electricity ceased its current, I sat up again, gasping for air.

_That should've killed me..._ I thought. I looked out the broken window at the thing we had crashed into. It was an electrical substation. The car had dented the metal casing, exposing several of the high voltage components within. Every time I got too close to it, the electricity would arc and strike me with enough volts to kill me. Hell, that last strike should've killed me, but it didn't for some out of this world reason.

A high pitched ring cut through the air, my frayed nerves making me scream and jump. I recognized it as my cell phone. Agonizingly, I turned around and slowly reached towards my bag in the back seat. I pulled the device out and flipped it open with shaky hands.

"H-Hello..." I gasped.

_Toby?_

"M-Mom..." I fell back against the seat.

_Toby, are you all right? Where are you?_

"N-No I'm..." The electricity arced again, drawing another cry from my lips.

_Toby? Toby, are you okay?_

The electricity stopped and I leaned away from the window, getting as far away from it as I could, but still keeping my distance from Mike.

"Mom..." I gasped. Then I started cry. "Oh god, mom..."

_Toby? What happened?_

"The car...Mike's car. We crashed..." I sobbed. "Mike...Mike...I think he's...Oh god mom..."

_Where are you? Cole, call 911. Use the cell phone._

"I...I don't know, mom..." I gasped. "We crashed into a substation. That's all I know."

_You crashed into a substation?_ Mom cried.

"Uh huh..." I said weakly.

_Are you okay?_

"No!" I cried. "I'm in a lot of pain, Mike's..." I trailed off. "And its...It's hit me...twice...no three times..."

_You... _My mom trailed off.

"The electricity." I whispered.

Mom began relaying as much information as she could to Cole as he dialled 911.

_Just stay awake, okay Toby? Don't move._

"I..." I was blacking out. My breathing came out in ragged gasps as my head spun. I sat up straight again, hopefully to clear my head.

_Bzzzzt_

I yelped again, my body convulsing. When the arc ended, my head was just slightly clearer, but I was trembling violently and uncontrollably.

_Here, talk to him._ I heard mom say. _I'll talk to them._

I gripped the seat tightly, my heart racing in my chest.

_Toby? _It was Cole's voice.

"Where's mom?" I gasped.

_She's talking to 911._

"Oh." I fell slightly and my hand slammed on the door to steady myself. Stupid idea. The electricity arced again. I screamed in both anger and shock. "God damn it!" I cried.

_What's wrong?_

"Why am I not dead?" I cried. "I should be dead! What the hell is happening?"

_What happened, Toby?_

I didn't answer. My breath just came out in horrible, ragged gasps. I could feel a foreign energy flowing through my body. It made me want to move, to run, burn it off. I didn't know whether it was adrenaline, or some crazy effect of getting struck by high voltage electricity five fucking times

_Toby?_

I had to get out of this car now. I began to move, trying to think of a way out of the vehicle.

_Bzzzzzzzt_

"NO!" I screamed, my free hand thrusting towards the substation. Electricity shot from my hand and began arcing all over the substation. Sparks flew everywhere as the coils heated up and shattered into pieces. The metal casings tore off the equipment and the whole thing exploded in with loud pops and crackles accompanied by a light show of bright blue electricity and a shower of sparks.

"Holy shit! HOLY SHIT!" I gasped, launching myself into the back seat of the car and slamming against the driver's side door back there.

_Toby?_ Cole was still on the phone.

"What's happening?" I cried, tears of panic flowing down my face. "What the hell is happening?"

_Toby, what happened?_

"It blew up!" I cried. "The whole substation exploded!" I gasped. "SOMEONE HELP ME!" I shrieked.

_Toby, I'm here. Stay calm. The paramedics are on their way._ Cole told me.

I screamed again, this time it was wordlessly. I was in full panic mode, wanting so desperately to run, but not wanting to leave my best friend behind. I had been struck by electricity six times, and I think I exploded the whole substation. I didn't know what the hell was going on. I was scared. In fact, all I could do was curl up into a ball in the back seat, listening to Cole relaying to my mom that I was still alive, I was just panicking. Mom tried to comfort me, but in my panic, I couldn't say anything.

When the paramedics finally arrived, probably tipped off by the local hydro provider that something went screwy with one of their substations, I was taken into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital. I passed out on the way there.

...

When I opened my eyes again, it was to a bright light and white washed walls.

"Toby?"

I looked towards the voice to see mom and Cole sitting in chairs beside my bed.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"You crashed." Mom told me.

I remembered the crash again down to the last detail.

"Mike..." I breathed. "Where is he?"

Mom's face fell. "I'm so sorry, Toby." She pulled me into a hug. "He's gone."

"No..." I whispered. "No..." I began to cry. "He was my best friend..."

"I know, Toby. I know." Mom sobbed.

...

Mike. He had been my best friend since elementary school. We did everything together. But now, he was gone. Dead. I couldn't believe it. I cried for hours in that hospital bed, wishing I could've done something to help him. But I knew I couldn't have done anything.

And that's why it hurt so damn much. I couldn't save my best friend.

Cole had this look of sympathy in his eyes he should never have had. Hell, he even cried a little bit. I didn't know what he was thinking, but all I knew was that I was pissed off that he could look so damn sympathetic. Especially since I still hated his guts for being my father. If he even so much as tried to give me sympathy, I would've yelled at him. Hell, I probably would tell him he wasn't my father. That's how horribly distraught I was.

...

I was woken up the next morning by that same energy I had felt back in the car. It felt like power, unbelievable power. I remembered the way the substation exploded and fear raced through me. I felt something similar to static snap between two of my fingers. I raised my hand just in time to see blue lightning start crackling out of the palm of my hand, arcing across my fingers and jumping every which way.

I cried out and stared at it, trying to think of how to get rid of it. I didn't know what was going on, but...

The realization suddenly dawned on me.

Holy shit...I have freaking _electricity_ sparking out of my freaking _hand_...this shouldn't be happening...

I screamed.

"Toby? Oh my god. Cole!"

I looked up to see mom entering the room. Cole looked in curiously, still wearing the baseball cap to disguise himself. His eyes widened at the electricity sparking all over my hand. I was panicking, wanting to do something to stop the electricity from sparking from my hand, but not knowing what to do. I didn't want to touch anything, but...

Cole reached towards my sparking hand. I flinched away from him, but just then electricity started to spark around his hand as well. I froze in my tracks and his electric hand took mine and drained the electricity from it. My hand stopped sparking, and I could only stare at his as he dropped it back to his side. The electricity disappeared.

"H-How...W-What..."

The nurse bustled in. "Is everything okay here?" She asked.

"Yes, I think so." Cole answered for both me, and mom. I knew he didn't want anyone finding out what had just happened to me. I was glad for it too. I didn't want to be a freak show. It barely even occurred to me that this was the first time I was hearing Cole's voice in person.

The nurse checked my charts and then left the room.

I stared at my hands, my fingers trembling from what had just happened.

"Say something!" I hissed, wanting closure, to hear that this wasn't happening.

Mom pulled me into a hug. Nope. Not what I wanted at all. It just made me shake even more, mom probably thinking I was some kind of miracle because I had electricity sparking from my hand like Cole MacGrath who was sitting in the same goddamn room. Did I mention he could possibly be my father? If that was the case, this was going in the direction of 'like father, like son'. Fuck, I officially hated that saying.

"W-What's happening to me?" I whispered into her shoulder.

My mom couldn't answer that. She didn't. Nobody did. Not even Cole who looked like he could tell me the answer, but didn't, either because he couldn't put it into words, or his answer was just too 'you've got superpowers, Toby'. Please, nobody say that. Please don't say anything like that. Don't even say I'm like Cole MacGrath. Please, let it not be true. Please tell me I wasn't turning into a superhuman freak like my supposed father with electric powers.

Mom let me go and sat back in her chair. She wrung her hands for a few seconds then looked towards Cole who was still staring off into space, trying to think of something to say to me.

In the end, the doctor came in and pronounced me with surprise that I was good to go. Thus, I left the hospital that day.

...

I had just been about to get into moms car when Cole put a hand on my shoulder. I spun around and glared at him.

"What?" I asked.

He flinched slightly. "It...Might not be a good idea for you to get in the car."

"Why not?"

Cole ran a hand down his face. "It might explode."

I had to admit, I nearly laughed. "Explode? Why would it explode?"

"Toby,"

I looked towards mom who was standing beside the car, the door open for her to step into.

"I know you probably don't want to hear it, but..." She bit her lip, trailing off.

"You won't be able to live a normal life anymore." Cole finished to my dismay. "I learned the hard way when I sat in a car and it exploded because of my power."

"So you're saying I have to walk home now?" I growled. "In the bloody _snow._"

"So do I, Toby." Cole reminded.

Right. I wasn't the only freak in the city.

I angrily kicked a pile of snow into the parking lot and began to march towards home. My teeth were gritted in absolutely fury as I stomped across the concrete. The moment I stepped onto the sidewalk I stopped, realizing I didn't have the slightest clue how to get home.

"Toby,"

I ran for it. I didn't want to speak to Cole freaking MacGrath. I ran down the sidewalk, the icy air burning at my lungs as my feet thudded into the concrete. I didn't look back to see if he was following me. Instead, I whipped into alleyway after alleyway, trying to evade anybody who could potentially be following me. Eventually, I couldn't run anymore and I collapsed to the ground and cried. Why me? Why did I get these powers? Why did my best friend have to die? Why was my father Cole MacGrath? Why did my father come home after all of these years?

Someone sat down beside me. I gasped and looked up. Unbelievable.

"How the hell did you follow me?" I cried.

Cole didn't look at me. "I know these streets better than anyone in this city. I was a bike messenger before I got my powers." Cole stated. "One day I was asked to deliver a package like always. But halfway through my delivery, the man who asked me to deliver the package called me. He told me to open the package, and inside was a strange ball about the size of a basket ball. The man, Kessler was his name, gave me directions on what to do with it. Next thing I knew, I woke up in a crater."

I stared at the ground. I realized at that moment he was talking about the Blast.

"I later found out that the ball was known as the Ray Sphere. It was like a bomb in a way, except it drained neuroelectric energy from the people around it and concentrated it into the user, mainly myself. I had unknowingly killed thousands of people. My powers started to develop just days later. It was the most terrifying moment of my life. I didn't know what was happening to me. There were no experts to consult. I was on my own."

I wondered why he was telling me all this. Regardless, I hung onto every word he said.

"After the quarantine was put up, I slowly began to master my new power. As I tried to find Kessler, I protected the city and kept it safe from the gangs and super human people called conduits."

"Conduits?" Whoops. I had spoken.

"We're conduits, Toby." Cole stated. "We both can heal quickly, correct?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

"That was why I was chosen to detonate the Ray Sphere. Because I was a conduit, I could survive the explosion, and the massive intake of the electric energy. Even so, Toby, you're not alone like I was."

I gritted my teeth. "So you think I'm better off than you were?" I snarled.

"Toby-"

"No!" I cried. "My best friend _died_ in that crash! I should've died with him! That electricity should've _killed_ me!"

"But it didn't." Cole pointed out.

I stared at the ground again. "So why didn't it?"

"I don't know." Cole stated. "I can only guess that after the crash, you absorbed some of the electricity and it manifested itself inside you."

Without my saying so, my hand began to crackle and spark again. I stared at it, willing it to go away and never come back. It just kept on crackling. I let my hand fall, my arm propped up on my knee as my hand continued to spark.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" I whispered.

"Do you feel it inside you, Toby?"

"Feel what? The lightning?"

Cole nodded. "It feels like energy."

I tried to see if I could feel it, but I was filled with such irritation and pain that I couldn't do it. I just shook my head. Eventually, it fizzled out, but the impact was still there. These powers weren't going away.

"I can teach you to use them, Toby." Cole stated.

I continued to stare at the ground.

"Don't be like me, having to control this on your own." He sighed. "Someone else has been through what you're going through, and that's me, Toby. I'll let you make the choice, but just know, I will teach you to control your power."


	4. Chapter 4: The Power of Lightning

Threat to Society

Chapter 4: The Power of Lightning

I stayed home from school for the week. Mom went to pick up my school work every day as I fought with random electrical discharges nearly three times a day. I knew Cole was waiting to hear from me so he could teach me how to control it, but I wasn't quite ready to give in just yet. No, in fact it took me getting up to take a shower and running screaming from the water, electricity painfully sparking all over my body for me to decide that yes, I needed his help. Within a day, Cole had arranged the insanity known as the winter camping trip, due to be heading out the day after tomorrow. Mom thought it was an incredible idea, saying something about 'bonding time'. I scoffed at the thought. I wasn't going to be bonding with my so called father. I was going to learn how to control this bloody power before I killed myself, or killed someone around me.

...

Cole and I set out on bikes, heading for the mainland. Our completely stupid camping trip in the middle of winter was taking place in an area Cole had apparently dubbed Timbuktu. I had to say, Cole was a very good bike rider. I guess it made sense, seeing as he had been a _bike_ messenger before his life went squirrely.

When we got to the mainland, the people in the city there were giving us odd looks as we biked through the congested streets, heading out into the wilderness. I didn't blame them. Two people on bikes with massive backpacks was surely an insane sight in the middle of winter.

By the time we were out of the city, my legs were killing me. Cole looked okay, but hell. He was used to this. He even stopped, offering to let me rest for a few minutes, but I refused, telling him that if we stopped, I stopped for good. I was dead serious too. Cole agreed and eventually we biked onto a dirt road covered in snow. My bike slowed to a freaking halt and fell over. I couldn't pedal through this. Cole stopped too, though I had a feeling he could pedal through this crap and not bat an eyelash.

"Guess we're walking the rest of the way." Cole stated. He hoisted his bike above his head. What the hell. This guy was a tank. He could do anything he freaking wanted to and then some.

I lifted my bike above my head and realized it wasn't so hard. I followed Cole down the snowy path and eventually we walked into the woods. It was another hour or so of walking through thick cedar underbrush, but eventually we made it to an abandoned factory, literally in the middle of nowhere. There looked to be a few abandoned train tracks nearby as well. Timbuktu for sure.

"I hid here for several weeks." Cole stated.

"Hid here?" I stared at him.

Cole nodded. "The government was after me. Still is. I think they've lost track of me though."

"Why are they after you?"

"Because they think I'm a threat to society."

I was stunned. Him? A threat to society? Wasn't he the big hero? Why the hell would they think he was a threat?

"They're afraid of my power." Cole stated.

Okay, so that was understandable.

As Cole pushed open the door to the abandoned factory, a thought hit me.

"What if they find out about me?" I asked.

Cole shot me a look. "Don't let them find out. Ever."

I nodded slowly. I followed Cole through the factory. The wind howled eerily through the busted windows and sent a shiver down my spine.

"You stayed here alone?" I asked.

"Yeah. Two weeks." Cole stated. "Then they found me with a chopper and I had to book it out of here."

"Where did you run?"

"All over." He sighed. "New Jersey, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Dallas, Orlando..." He trailed off. "In sixteen years I did a full loop of the country, and as soon as I realized I was back in the neighbourhood of Empire City, I had to go back. I missed everything so much." He paused. "Didn't expect you though."

"No neither did I." I stated. At least now I understood why I grew up without a father. It was because he was on the run from the government. Whatever happened to 'free country'?

...

My first lesson started that night. He wanted me to learn to feel my power, and then gain control over it. He demonstrated the control for me by making his electricity spark between his hands in neat lines. He even moved them around as if they were strings.

I worked hard on that, trying and trying desperately to make it work. Cole always watched me, giving me pointers from time to time, but mostly leaving me to fend for myself. I assumed that this wasn't something I could just spontaneously learn. I had to get the feeling of it, try fail and try again. Like the first time I rode a bike without my training wheels. As soon as I understood the balance, I was flying. And then I crashed into a fence, not knowing how to brake. I hoped something like that wouldn't happen this time. I would assume that even if I lost control halfway through the exercise, Cole wouldn't get hurt. Neither would I. It would just be a really scary experience.

I worked at it and worked at it, probably looking like a total buffoon trying to make magic happen. I just wasn't feeling it. Cole had said my power feels like energy. So if I find that energy and maybe concentrate it to my hands... I felt a slight tingling inside me. I felt that this was my energy; the electricity. I focused it to my hands, and sparks and lightning shot out of them. I yelped in surprise as they went haywire, not coming close to the neat lines Cole had made. I stopped the energy, clenching my fists and releasing my mental hold on the electricity. It dissipated along with the sparks along my hands.

"Well now you're getting somewhere." Cole stated.

"Shut up." I growled.

Cole chuckled.

I glared at him, not really meaning it in my mind. I think he knew it too because he just smirked and shook his head, glancing at the cracked concrete walls of our shelter. I cast my eyes around the place as well. I couldn't imagine staying here for two weeks. No, I couldn't imagine staying here for two weeks being chased by the government of my own country because they were afraid of the power I had.

"What was it like?" I asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Cole looked up at me.

"Running."

Cole sighed and looked away. "It was...sad really. I had to leave everything behind in Empire City. I had to drop the title of hero and become a fugitive. But it was also terrifying. During the quarantine in Empire City, at least I had some sense of what was going to happen on a daily basis. Out here, I had no idea what was going to happen. Some of the scariest moments of my life included fleeing from government jeeps on foot. I fell through ice once, and that nearly killed me. I jumped off a cliff to get away from a helicopter-"

"You did WHAT?"

Cole nodded slowly. "Sometimes it was fun, because I got to see new cities. I met new people. I even took up my bike messenger job again down in San Francisco. I spent a month in that city. Unfortunately, they tracked me down again. Since then I haven't stopped scrambling across the country. I haven't settled down anywhere, because I knew it was only a matter of time before they found me again. The last three years was spent constantly moving without purpose, every single day. Until I got back to Empire City that is."

"Aren't you afraid they're going to find you again?" I asked.

"I'm terrified, Toby." He sighed. "But at the same time, I can't leave you to fend for yourself while you have powers of your own developing."

I looked at the ground.

"I'm the only one who can tell you how to use them."

I nodded slowly.

"Toby, don't let the government find out about you." Cole told me. "It's bad enough that I'm on the run. I don't want you to end up like me."

"How do I hide these powers?" I asked.

"Learn to control them, Toby." Cole stated. "After that, hiding them won't be a problem. Just don't use them where someone else can see them. I would tell you not to use them at all, but that's the thing with electricity. It's unpredictable, even to me. If you don't use them for a long time, sometimes they'll spark out of control just like they did that first day."

I nodded. "Anything else I should know?"

"Avoid water at all costs."

"So...I'll never shower again?"

"I didn't say that." Cole smirked. "I use a wet sponge and rubber gloves. You just have to be careful. If it's raining, get inside as fast as you can. If there are puddles, don't step in them. Watch your emotions, because if you get angry, you might lose control. And for goodness sakes, don't show off."

I laughed. I've always have shown off on my skateboard. But I supposed this was different. I couldn't show off with these powers. I mean, everyone knew about d-...Cole's powers, and the government was hunting him. I knew Cole didn't want to see me getting hunted too.

"So, what good are my powers?" I asked.

Cole sighed. "I don't know, Toby. I honestly hoped you wouldn't ever get them. For me and Empire City, they were a blessing because they helped me look after the city. For you...I don't know why you were given these powers, and I don't know what you should do with them. I would assume it will all come clear in the future."

Believe me, I sure hoped so too.

...

The entire week we spent in Timbuktu was quite...should I say fun? I can honestly say by the third day, I was really enjoying the time I was spending with Cole. Turns out he brought a package of hotdogs with him and we roasted them over the fire. It was like a real camping trip and not a training mission.

And I confess. I was so caught up in it, that I accidently called him 'dad'. We were both shocked, and awkward silence lapsed between us. I didn't know what to say to him, and he didn't know what to say to me. Although I must admit, having Cole MacGrath as my dad was the coolest damn thing ever. He gradually taught me how to control my power, and told me that having electricity flood his body pretty much gave him new abilities, though he told me he didn't recommend doing it.

By the end of the week, I had total control over my power. Turns out the first exercise required me to make a circuit with my arms, and that was one of the first things I had to learn. Electricity doesn't move anywhere unless there's a circuit, mainly a place for it to go. He didn't show me how to use my power in useful ways, telling me I should never have to use them. My only thoughts were confused ones. What the hell was I given these powers for? What was the point of having them if I couldn't use them? Cole told me he couldn't use his either. I realized at that moment how much harder it was for him. I had just discovered my power, and he had had his for the last twenty one years. He had used them to save his city, and now he was a fugitive. He couldn't use them anymore. That was probably a huge lifestyle change for him. Me? I just had the rug yanked out from under me. I could still get up and go on with my life. But Cole had the rug ripped out from under him, he moved forward, and then in the end had to pull a one eighty and step back into his normal life, and then had to run for his freaking life in a completely different direction. I think I had it tough? He was going through hell. I felt bad for him.

At the end of the week, we biked back to Empire City. Mom welcomed us home, and I embraced the massive pile of homework I had collected. Joy oh joy. We were still doing electricity in physics, and after all of the exercises Cole had put me through, I felt I understood electricity better than the teacher.

Mom seemed happier since Cole had come back too. The whole family was happy to be together. I admit I started consistently calling him my dad. In my mind, I wondered just how long this happiness would last.


	5. Chapter 5: Heroic Struggle

Threat to Society

Chapter 5: Heroic Struggle

It was midnight. All the curtains were closed, and I was freaking hungry. I crawled out of bed and kept my eyes wide, looking for the stairs. Then I scoffed to myself, remembering I was a human light bulb and sent electricity to spark around my hand. The blue glow lit my way well, and soon I was in the kitchen making myself toast.

"Toby."

I jumped three feet in the air, the plate in my hand dropping towards the floor. A hand swiped it up before it could hit the deck with a loud crash and shatter into pieces. I looked up to see dad staring down at me with a slightly disapproving expression. He handed the plate back to me and I placed it on the counter where it would wait for my toast to pop.

"What did I tell you about using your power, Toby?" He sighed.

"I'm sorry, okay?" I sighed. "I just have this power, and I want to make use of it in my life. What's the point of having it if I can't even use it?"

"Toby, you just have to be careful. What if the neighbours saw you?"

"I was careful! I was watching for windows and stuff. Besides, I just used it to go through the areas that had no windows."

Dad sighed. From his pocket, he pulled a small LED flashlight. He handed it to me. "This is more inconspicuous."

I took it and pushed the button. "It doesn't even work."

"No, the batteries dead. You have to charge it."

Now I understood. I funnelled some electricity into the tiny internal battery and pushed the button. The bright light lit up the room. Yay. I found a use for my power.

"You know those wireless controllers you play those video games with?" Dad asked.

I nodded.

"You can use your power to charge those while you play, just as long as you're careful. It takes more control to charge a battery than it does to light up your hand like that."

"Why? Because I could explode the battery?"

"Exactly."

I laughed. "Am I to assume you've done it?"

"Oh yeah. Loads of times. Guns too."

"Guns?"

"Gunpowder. It doesn't like sparks, and everything I touch gets an electric current running through it. Especially if it's made of metal."

"I'll be careful, dad."

He smiled at me. "You'd damn well better, Toby MacGrath."

My toast popped and I quickly began throwing raspberry jam on it, smiling to myself. Toby MacGrath. It kind of had a nice ring to it. My registered name was Toby Andrews after mom, but Toby MacGrath... That could be my secret name.

Dad went back upstairs and I quickly gulped down my toast. Once I was done, I headed back upstairs and played with the flashlight for a few minutes. It was a stupid little thing, but it was the first gift I had gotten from my dad, so I loved it. I placed it on my bedside table and sighed sadly. If only Mike could see me now. He'd have a riot with my new powers. Then again, maybe it was better he had died. He knew that Cole was my dad, and if word of that got out, the government might eventually find out, and hey presto, I was hunted too.

"Sorry, Mike." I sighed, feeling sick to my stomach. Because I never went through a day where I wished my best friend wasn't still alive. With a sigh, I closed my eyes and falling asleep again.

...

The snow melted, and spring began to take shape. I waited with bated breath for the snow to just poof and disappear so I could ride my skateboard to school again.

I had pretty good control over my electrical powers now. Dad occasionally brought me into the basement where he had the windows boarded up and showed me a few other things I could do with my powers. They were all stupid, useless things that wouldn't make a difference, but hey. We, meaning dad and I, could get away with it.

When March Break rolled around, I found myself completely fascinated with electricity. It got to the point where I started to build circuits in the basement. It was so much fun powering a light bulb just by grabbing onto the copper wire. Of course, that got dull eventually so I started building an electric, battery powered car. It was frustrating, but as soon as I got the mechanical components working, I brought it upstairs and showed off my new toy. It didn't move very fast, but hey. You have to start somewhere, right?

School continued to whip by. As soon as I had gotten over Mike's empty desk, and the entire school stopped sending me messages of sympathy, everything seemed to go back to normal. Don't get me wrong, I missed my best friend, but you had to move on, you know? No matter how much I thought about it, Mike wasn't coming back. It was sad, but it was the truth.

Next thing I knew, final exams were done and I was free for the summer.

Hell yes.

Dad was still around. He'd been here for at least four months now. With every day that went by, our attachment to him grew. I really didn't want to lose my father again, but I knew, that deep down, with every day that passed, the government was probably inching closer to him. Dad knew it too. Sometimes I would see him up, late at night sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. I knew he was fighting with himself to either stay and risk getting captured, but stay with his family, or run and leave everything behind again.

Lately he's been holding himself with a bit more confidence, so I assumed he had come to a decision on what to do in case the government decided to screw up our lives again.

Just like every morning, we all sat at the kitchen table eating our breakfast and watching the news.

"Do they ever mention you on the news, Cole?" Mom asked.

"I don't know." Dad stated. "But if they get desperate, they probably will. The only problem is they'll end up having an entire city to deal with."

Mom laughed. "Of that, I have no doubt."

I knew they were talking about Empire City. It was true though. With what dad had done for the city, I had no doubt there would be a mass protest.

"How about a slow march to the White House?" I asked.

Both of them looked at me.

I shrugged. "I can just see them jumping on flatbed trucks and heading for the White House."

Dad chuckled. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Does anybody even know you're here?" I asked.

Dad shrugged. "Probably not. I've been doing my best to hide myself so I should hope not. If they do know, I trust they'll keep their mouths shut."

"Do they know the government's after you?"

Dad shrugged again. So much for an answer.

We continued to watch the news in silence.

"I'm going to see Trish today." Dad announced suddenly.

Mom looked at him.

"Trish?" I frowned.

"She was my girlfriend before the Blast." Dad ran a hand down his face. I could tell he was thinking about something painful.

"We'll all go." Mom stated.

Dad looked at her. "Thanks." He looked away again.

...

I didn't know who this Trish was. We all walked from the Neon into the Historic District, passing through the area that had a memorial erected for the citizens who died during the Blast, and in the aftermath at what had been ground zero. It was a park now, and it still had pieces of rubble sticking up out of the grass. Dad stopped by ground zero for a few minutes, looking around in disbelief. I could only imagine what ground zero had once looked like. I didn't think it would've painted a pretty picture either.

We continued on, heading for the other park in the Historic District. I knew there was a small graveyard there. Some of the headstones were just wooden planks slowly rotting away, and others were rocks with a name painted on it. Those names were fading now, which made me feel bad. Some of them had their names almost wiped off; now completely illegible which made me feel worse. Those were people who would never be remembered other than by people who had seen them die. Unless they were dead as well. It was a sad tale, really.

Dad stopped by a worn down cross. It had a sun faded photograph nailed to it in a plastic bag that had a few beads of moisture inside. When I took a closer look at the picture, I realized it was an image of a girl. She was kind of pretty in an older girl kind of way, but I was still wondering where this Trish person was.

Unless this was Trish.

"Who is this?" I asked. "Is this..." I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Yes, this is Trish." Dad stated.

Judging by the tone of his voice, he still loved this woman. But didn't he have mom? I looked to her to see her reaction. She didn't seem to have one. I assumed she had long since accepted the fact that dad still loved this Trish girl.

"What happened to her?" I couldn't help but ask.

"She died for the sake of Empire City." Was my father's only answer. He sounded so pained as he said it that I knew it wasn't the whole story. I didn't even know if I wanted to know the whole story.

A gunshot suddenly cut through the air. Dad gasped and we all turned around. My eyes widened. The government had found us. They'd found dad.

"Cole MacGrath, stay where you are!" Some guy over a megaphone called. "You are under arrest by order of the federal government, and the president of the United States! We have you surrounded, and we will shoot if you attempt to escape!"

"You would shoot me with civilians around?!" Dad cried, his voice angry.

I turned, seeing several SWAT gunmen and even snipers positioned on top of buildings across the street. All of them had their guns pointed straight at us.

"Get down on the ground now!" The megaphone guy ordered.

I could practically hear the wheels turning in my father's head as he thought of what to do next. I knew that we were surrounded, and I think he did too. If he so much as put up a fight, they would open fire. I didn't know if I could survive getting riddled with bullets, but I knew there was no way mom could. She wasn't a conduit like us.

Overhead, I could faintly hear a chopper circling above the park. If dad managed to escape, he might not get very far. Especially with this many SWAT officers around. And yet, I could see the fear in his eyes. I could see the uncertainty of the situation.

Mom grabbed my arm and pulled me into a kneeling position onto the ground. I was scared for dad. I wanted to help him escape, but if I did, I would be hunted too.

"Get on the ground! This is your final warning!"

I looked at my dad in fear. He had this absolutely terrifying look in his eyes. I knew at that moment that he was ready to kill, and he would kill to make his escape. The megaphone dude seemed to catch onto this as well and raised his left hand, pointing in our direction. Several gunshots cracked through the air as the snipers on top of the buildings fired at dad. Dad didn't miss a beat. A huge shield of electricity materialized in front of him. I gasped as the bullets simply stopped and fell to the ground.

Next thing I knew, bullets were flying in every direction. Dad couldn't block the bullets all the way around. And because mom and I were still there, we were hit too. I heard dad cry out as he fell to his knees, his body riddled with bullet wounds. I wanted to call out to him. I wanted to scream 'dad' as loud as I could.

Mom's hand wrapped around my arm. I looked down at her to see her covered in blood as well. I was wounded, yes, but mom...Mom wasn't a conduit.

Dad staggered to his feet. Next thing I knew, lightning was flying from the palms of his hands. My eyes widened as I watched him. On instinct, I turned around to see a shoulder mounted grenade launcher, mounted on somebody's shoulder.

I shoved 'dad' out of my head. "Cole! Behind you!" I cried.

Dad turned around, but it was too late. It was a streak of light just rocketing towards him. It slammed into the ground at his feet. Did I mention how close we were to him? It sent mom and I flying. I landed painfully on the concrete nearby. When I opened my eyes, I saw dad's battered body hit the ground not too far away. The SWAT team quickly scooped him up and threw him in a metal crate which they then threw in the back of their SWAT van.

"No..." I moaned. I tried to move, but I couldn't. It hurt too much. "Dad..." The world tunnelled as I stared after the truck. I closed my eyes, breathing heavily. A few minutes later, I heard sirens approaching. I opened my eyes just slightly when I felt hands on me. Paramedics.

"This one's conscious!" The medic cried.

"Dad..." I mumbled. "Government..."

"The _government_ did this to you?" The paramedic said in shock.

I faded out of consciousness slightly at that moment. When I regained my sense again, I knew I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

"Mom..." My eyes widened as I remembered her. "Mom, where's my mom?"

"That woman beside him." A paramedic said softly.

"I'm sorry. She didn't make it."

"No..." I moaned. Why was I a conduit? Why did I have to survive this? Why did mom have to die?

And why did the government have to kidnap my father?

I passed out again, this time for good.


	6. Chapter 6: Finding Purpose

Threat to Society

Chapter 6: Finding Purpose

Alone.

That was the first word I thought when my mind was able to process thoughts again. I was alone. The government had captured Cole MacGrath. Captured my father. And they had killed my mother in the process.

When I opened my eyes, the painful tears came. My eyes felt like they were riddled with sandpaper, but I couldn't stop crying. I was alone. Alone, alone, alone.

A nurse came in. "Are you all right?" She asked.

I didn't give her an answer. I just kept crying.

"Aw, sweetheart..." The nurse gave me a hug. It was a stupid thing, but I had a feeling she knew what had happened to me. I just kept crying anyway. Until at least I felt a spark snap between my fingers. I clenched my fist and pushed the nurse away, forcing the electricity away from my hand.

"I'll get the doctor." The nurse stated. She then quickly left the room.

I lay back onto the hospital bed, tears still falling down my cheeks. Dad had been captured by the government. I didn't know what they were going to do with him, either.

The doctor came in. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

I looked at him. I wanted him to know what I was going through. I wanted him to know that the government had kidnapped my father and killed my mother. But at the same time, I didn't know if I could say it out loud.

Then I remembered something. Health care in America wasn't cheap, and it sure as hell wasn't free. I didn't have anyone to pay my medical bills once I was released. Besides, I was a conduit. I didn't need to be in a hospital.

"Let me out." I stated, sitting up again. "I'm fine."

"You were seriously injured." The doctor stated, trying to stop me.

"I don't give a damn. I'll be fine." I got out of the bed, standing on my own two feet. It hurt a little, but I was fine. Perfectly fine. A little stiff, but I was okay.

"Please, sit back down."

"No!" I clenched my fists.

"I will call security!"

I gritted my teeth. Then I lost it again, tears streaming down my face as I sat on the floor against the wall. I sobbed uncontrollably. I was alone. I could feel electricity sparking around my hands as I buried my face in them, but I no longer cared.

"This boy..." I heard the nurse whisper.

"Close the door."

I heard the door close. After a few more minutes, my crying stopped and I regained control of my lightning.

"Don't tell anyone." I whispered.

"You're just like Cole MacGrath." The nurse said softly.

"He's my father." I whispered. "The government kidnapped him."

"So that's what all of that ruckus was about." The doctor growled. "Damn them."

"Let me out." I said again. "I can't pay the hospital bills anyway. My mom's dead. The government killed her too."

"Do you think Cole MacGrath paid a cent when he stayed in this hospital?" The doctor asked.

"He was in the hospital?"

"Oh yeah." The doctor nodded. "He nearly died. Fell into the bay to save the city from someone with lightning powers like him. Except he was using them for evil."

Fell into the bay...Oh man...If I ran screaming from the shower, I could only imagine what falling into the bay would be like. Salt water conducted electricity ten times better than regular water. Ouch.

"If Cole MacGrath paid nothing, neither will you, as his son." The doctor stated. "I'll make sure of it."

I still didn't want to stay in the hospital. Even so, I had to. If I didn't, I knew that doctor and that nurse would never let me hear the end of it.

...

When I was finally released, I stepped out into sunlight. I didn't know where my mother was. Nobody told me. I didn't have grandparents, so I just...Didn't know. Nobody told me anything.

I unlocked the front door to my house. Everything was the way we had left it not even two days ago, right down to the random glasses scattered around the house, some of them still half filled with water. I admit it, I broke down again there. I didn't know what to do. I was sixteen years old, and both of my parents were gone. I had no friends to fall back on either, because Mike was gone too. I had never felt so alone in my life.

I went downstairs into the basement. I supposed there was only one thing I could do. I had to leave and rescue my father. I turned off the water from behind the water heater. I wouldn't need water in this house anymore. I then headed to the circuit breaker, snapping every single one of those into the off position. As I put my fingers on the last one, a spark flew from the breaker, striking my finger. I frowned, opening my palm and pressing it to the circuit board. I could feel the energy still flowing through that last circuit. I willed it out of the breaker, pulling my hand away slightly to see the electricity flowing straight into my hand. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as the electricity rushed through me.

When the flow suddenly ended, I opened my eyes again. I must've drained the entire circuit. Cool. I snapped off the final breaker. Then I remembered the fridge and I snapped on the kitchen breaker. It wouldn't matter in a couple of weeks when everything hit the expiry date, but at least if I came home for a visit, or anybody else came in, they wouldn't be overwhelmed with the smell of rotting food.

I headed upstairs into the kitchen anyways, opening the fridge door and looking inside. Wow. There was next to nothing. Either someone had raided the fridge, or mom had a sixth sense that something like this would happen and didn't go through with the grocery shopping. I opened up the freezer, and it was the same story. There was absolutely nothing to worry about, unless you counted a package of freezies important. I headed downstairs and turned off the kitchen breaker again. When I went back upstairs, I was stunned by the silence in the house. You never really realized how much background noise all of your electronics made until they suddenly went dark.

I sat down on the couch, sighing to myself. My head was starting to spin slightly, my vision blurry. I blinked rapidly, realizing I felt a little sick to my stomach. There was no electricity in the air anymore. I realized that was affecting me, and making me feel weaker. I realized I could still handle it, even as I stood up, heading for my bedroom to grab my backpack. I packed a set of clean clothes in a plastic bag which I then threw into the bag. I went into the closet and grabbed a sleeping bag from the winter camping trip I had been on. I went down to the kitchen and opened the turned off fridge, throwing four water bottles into my bag. I opened the cupboard and grinned at the sight of stacks of protein bars. Brilliant. I didn't like them very much, but I knew I would have to get used to them. They would be the only thing I could eat while on this trip.

Yes, I knew what I was doing. I was going after my father. I was going to save him if it was the last thing I did. Even if I was captured too. I thought for a moment that it would be a blessing if I was caught, but I shook the thought off. Hell knows what dad was going through right now. He could be being used as an experiment. Hell, the government could use him as a _weapon_. I couldn't let my father suffer that fate. I had to get him _out_. Even if I had to break into the White House and threaten the president himself, I would get Cole MacGrath out. I would get my father out.

I stared at the electricity crackling around my hands. This was the reason I was given these powers. I felt it deep inside. I was given these powers to save my father.

I opened the front door and locked it. I then shoved open the garage and brought out one of the bikes. As soon as I did, I threw the garage shut again and locked it tight. It was time to book out of here. I jumped onto the bike and started to pedal, heading for the mainland.

Heading for my father.

...

I had ridden to Timbuktu before I realized where I was going. I sat down on the familiar cracked concrete floor, contemplating my next move over a protein bar. I knew I had to be sparing with these bars, so I would only eat them when I really needed to. I finished half of one and put it away for later. I assumed that one a day would suffice. I had eaten a lot more back when things were..._normal_. But biology class had taught me that humans can survive three weeks without eating. I knew I would adapt to it too. I was a conduit after all.

I leaned against the cracked wall and sighed. I knew where I wanted to go first. The White House. The SWAT assholes had said that they were arresting dad by order of the federal government, and the president of the United States. So? It was kind of obvious where to go. The main government building in America. The White House.

I smiled to myself. I knew I'd have a hard time getting in, but I was a conduit. An electric conduit at that. I could probably kill the power and break in. I wasn't afraid to do it either. I would hold the president hostage until they let my father out if I had to. The only problem was, I didn't have the slightest clue where Washington DC was. I needed to see a map to be able to figure it out. I had a basic idea, but I didn't know the exact location.

Where the hell would I get a map of the United States? I ran a hand down my face. Could I get one of those tourist pamphlets somewhere? _Discover America_. I rolled my eyes. There was just no freaking way they sold those. An atlas? Could I buy one in a bookstore? No. I didn't have any money to do that. Besides, I couldn't carry around a freaking atlas.

Just when I was getting frustrated, it hit me. It was so damn obvious, I didn't know why I didn't see it before. The _library_. I could take a look at an atlas there. I smiled and nodded to myself. Tomorrow. The sun was setting, so I would have to do it tomorrow. But as soon as I figured out where it was, I was off.

...

When I woke up the next day, I ate the rest of last night's protein bar and grabbed my bike. I headed straight back towards New York. As soon as I got there, I was stuck with another dilemma. Where the hell was the library?

After riding around aimlessly for an hour, I decided to stop and ask someone. Luckily with that, I was pointed in the right direction. I arrived at the library in ten minutes. I parked my bike in the bike rack and headed inside. I spent a long time looking for those atlases. The library was freaking huge. When I finally found them, I felt like screaming in triumph. I snapped the book open and found a full page map of the United States. It even folded out, putting more detail into the map. I could see all the major highways, and basically everything else.

I looked up, and glanced around. Nobody was looking at me. That was good. Nobody was in the area either. I ripped the page out, folding it back up and sliding it into my pocket. I closed the atlas and shoved it back onto the shelf. I couldn't carry an atlas. But I sure could carry a piece of paper.

...

As soon as I was out of the library, I wondered how I would be able to follow the map. I needed a compass of some kind. I had no idea where to get one of those either. I sighed and looked up at the sky, remembering that the sun tended to tell directions very well. It was still early in the morning, so I guessed that the general direction where the sun was closest to the horizon was east.

I headed back to Timbuktu and pulled out the map. I didn't feel bad for ripping out the map. They had plenty of atlases. It just meant that there would be one map of the United States missing in one of them. I searched for Washington DC. I quickly found it to the south. Empire City was just off the coast of New York, which was basically where I was now. All I had to do was follow the roads south. So if I kept the sun in front of me, because the sun takes to the south in the northern hemisphere, I could make it to Washington DC. I just had to pass through Philadelphia along the way, and cross the border to several states...On a bike.

I ran a hand through my hair. I could so do this. If dad had done it for sixteen years, I could do it for several weeks. Besides, I was a conduit. I wasn't a normal human being.

I stood up and grabbed my bike again. It was time to get going.


	7. Chapter 7: Power Ups

Threat to Society

Chapter 7: Power Ups

As I biked that morning, one thing came to my mind. It was what dad had said when he had been training me to use my power. He said I could increase my power by flooding my body with electricity. I had gained my powers from an electrical substation. If I found another one, maybe I could absorb the electricity and increase my power.

The question was how do I find them? Follow the power lines? Maybe. They usually had them in out of the way areas. I also knew they never had sidewalks around them. I sighed and buzzed my lips. I parked my bike on the side of the road and pulled out a water bottle. I closed my eyes, sensing the electricity in the world around me. There were high voltage cables above me that both sounded promising, and felt promising. I wanted to get up there and grab onto those wires. The question was, how?

I sighed and jumped back on my bike. Yes, I could climb it. I was a conduit. I could totally climb it. The only problem was if someone saw me, I was screwed. This road was heavily used too, so there was no doubt in my mind that someone would see me climbing those hydro towers. I would have to try my luck somewhere else.

I kicked off on my bike and continued riding. It was midday, and my legs were burning. Not to mention I was hungry. I ignored the hunger pangs. I was fine. If I could keep going, I was fine.

As I continued to bike down the street, I kept casting out for large sources of electricity. I had no idea they'd be so hard to find. It made me wonder how dad did it.

By the time the sun was setting, I was in a town. I didn't know what it was called, but it was a nice little town. I could've totally lived here. I biked through the outskirts, figuring that if a substation was anywhere, it would be in the outskirts. That was when I felt the powerful electrical current and I knew I was near it. It was almost overwhelming. When I saw it off in the distance, a smile cracked across my features. I just had to wait until night so I could do this inconspicuously. I just hoped it wouldn't hurt too much.

...

The stars were twinkling high in the sky when I made my move. There was barbed wire on the tops of the fences, and it didn't help that the barbed wire leaned over me as I looked up, so I had no choice but to climb through it. If I wanted to jump the fence, that is. I could do it, right? I was a conduit. Even so, I didn't really want to get hurt. Those barbs looked freaking nasty.

I sighed irritably as I sat back down with my bike. I thought about what dad had done back in Empire City. He had been shooting electricity from the palm of his hand. If I could do that...Maybe I could just blow down the fence. I looked at the substation again. There were wires overhead, but no way to get to them, except for climbing. The nearest thing I could climb was the streetlights, and I knew those would be a big no no. People could see me. Hell, they could be sleeping but a car could whip by at any second. Besides, I admit it...I was afraid. I didn't know what would happen if I drained the electricity from that substation. It could hurt for all I knew. I didn't really want to go through the same experience I had back in the car. It didn't feel good at all.

And yet, when I focused on that massive power of electricity, imagining it flooding through my body...Man, just the thought of it sent shivers of excitement down my spine. I opened my eyes, looking at the substation again. I had to get inside somehow. I focused my electricity into the palms of my hands and pressed them against the fence. The electricity arced across it, creating a sort of field of electricity. I removed my hands and sighed. That didn't do anything. If I could just shoot the electricity like dad did, maybe I'd have a chance. Then again, the fences looked really strong. I could've just been wasting my time.

I gave up on it that night, parking myself on a grassy hill across the street. I would deal with it tomorrow. Or maybe I'd just move on. I didn't know what to do anymore. I did know I had to get my power up. I didn't think I would get into the White House without it. I couldn't sleep because of it. Eventually I gave up and headed for the streetlight. I jumped at it, wrapping my arms around it and quickly scaling it like a monkey. It felt amazing, especially when I was perched at the top, seeing the light below me. I leapt for the wire, my hands wrapping around it. I could feel the energy pulsing through it, even as I climbed on top of it and walked across it like a tightrope. Next thing I knew, I was over the fence.

I crouched over the barbed wire, smiling to myself. Now, how to go about draining the energy from this thing? Maybe I didn't have to drain the energy at all. Dad had just said to let it flood through me. So maybe I had to become a part of the circuit? I chuckled to myself. That just sounded badass. I couldn't wait to try it. I just couldn't figure out how to do it. I knew from physics class that electricity liked to be grounded. It liked to get into the earth. So if I grabbed a wire or something and got my feet on the ground, I could create a circuit easily.

I sat down on the wire, swinging my legs back and forth. It was a cool thing to do, sit on a wire. I felt like a bird. All I had to do from here was touch the ground. I just didn't have anything long enough to do that. I was sure that if I landed on the ground, the electricity would arc towards me, but I didn't know if that would work. Besides, if I did jump, I didn't see any way to get out. Unless I climbed the freaking substation which I had a funny idea would be totally stupid...

I smirked. What if I got between the coils? To hell with it. I had to do this one way or another. I stood back up on the wire and started walking towards the substation. Electricity arced towards me but I pushed it away with my mind, keeping it off me. It actually stopped arcing too. I didn't want it to arc yet. It was hard to keep it at bay, but I had to do it. If these people saw something crazy going on with their substation, I was certain I wouldn't get away quietly.

I got to the middle. Electricity hummed all around me. I knew that this was a small substation, just like the one Mike's car had crashed into. That was why it was so close to a road. The bigger ones, like the ones attached to those high voltage towers, were way isolated. As in, in the middle of nowhere isolated. This one probably provided electricity to this entire small town, so I would have to be careful to not kill it like I had the last one.

I held out my arms, releasing the hold on the electricity. It buzzed, flooding through me in seconds. I fought to gain control over it, and once I did, it flowed through me like I was just another part of the mechanism. That was the best part. I felt a euphoria I had never felt before, feeling the power flooding through me. I broke the circuit, the electricity retreating back into the coils. I had to get out of here now. I jumped on the wire and whipped out of the area as fast as I could, taking refuge back on the hill. I didn't know what had changed. Hell, I didn't know if anything had changed. If it did, I had yet to figure it out.

I sighed, closing my eyes and falling asleep quickly.

...

When I woke up the next morning, there were electrical workers inspecting the substation. So they _did_ know something had gone squirrely. Even so, I knew these guys were the experts. If I wanted to know more about electricity, these were the guys I needed to consult. And hell, I wanted to know more about electricity. I loved the stuff.

I walked over to them, observing what they were doing. They were inside the substation, checking up on things and making sure everything was running smoothly. I didn't know if I had caused any damage or not, but the substation looked okay.

It was while I was observing these guys at work that I clued into something. I could sense the neuroelectric energy flowing through them. If I focused hard enough, I suddenly realized I could see their thoughts, hear their thoughts. It came in pictures, words, sounds, and letters. Man, it was so cool. I could read minds!

The electrician who was inside the substation, checking out the coils had one crazy thought process. Actually, all of them did. I didn't realize how complicated the human mind was until I could actually peer into one. Nobody ever finished their sentence when they were having a thought. They just knew. Like the guy standing by the truck. He suddenly thought _I wonder if..._ Next thing I knew a picture of a woman walking a dog appeared in his mind. Then it was gone. I my mind, I processed the thought as _I wonder if she took the dog out this morning..._ No sooner than I processed that, the woman suddenly became the man standing right in front of me. _Usually do it...so..._ Then the process disappeared as soon as one of his coworkers called out to him.

I looked around at the electricians again. I wanted them to think something about electricity. Something I could learn about electricity. Maybe even learn something about the substation. Or just substations in general.

No sooner than I thought that, my own power clued into the electrician on the substation. In his mind, I could see him thinking about the substation. I learned that this particular substation was a distribution station. It provided power to half of this town. I also saw in his mind, lights flickering on an off in the middle of the night. Oops. Yup, that was probably me. I wanted to know more about substations, but I knew that this guy was a sort of small time electrician.

I headed back to my hill and started munching on a protein bar. That was a really good development, actually. I could use this new power to sense people around me, not to mention peer into their minds to see if they knew anything about my father. I just found out that by putting up a filter, I could focus in on one mind who was thinking the same thing I was. That was with the electrician and the substation. I knew I would have to work on using this new power, because for all I knew, it would give me one heck of a headache.

...

I biked out of the town, ending up in a very isolated area by the time the sun was high in the sky. I parked in the middle of a forest, finishing up the last of my breakfast. I was really starting to take to those protein were like chewy chocolate bars. They tasted a little nutty, and there was that bitterness to deal with, but the cocoa in them really helped mask the bitterness. They were fun to play with too. While I chewed the bites, I would twist the bar in to various shapes. It made it fun to eat. I had turned the second half into a sort of snake, and I was eating it like a candy bar. The weird thing was I liked them better in deformed shapes. They tasted better for some out of this world reason.

When I finished my protein snake, I thought about my dad again. I closed my eyes, sending out that new power of mine trying to sense his location. I couldn't find anything. There was nobody around, really.

There was nobody around... I grinned. I could use this power to track the general area. I could sense humans nearby. This was brilliant. Now I could practice using my power without worry.

I held up my hand and watched the electricity spark around it. Again, I remembered the way dad had shot electricity from his hands. It was official. I was going to give that lightning bolt thing dad could do a try. I just needed a target. I didn't want to use the trees around me, because I had a feeling that if I hit them with electricity, they'd catch fire. Or worse, explode and catch the ground on fire. That wouldn't be fun.

As I scanned the general area, I found a random steel pipe just lying on the ground. I picked it up and jammed it into the ground in a clear area. Steel conducted electricity, so if I hit it, I could see the effect.

I focused my electricity into the palms of my hands the way I'd seen dad do it. I tried to get the lightning to spark towards the metal pole, but I couldn't do it. I continued to push electricity into my hand. My head spun slightly, and I stopped the flow of energy. I sighed when my mind cleared. This wasn't working.

I sat down on the ground against a tree. My power so far seemed to work for me when I created a circuit. Dad never seemed to create a circuit. It just worked for him. Maybe my powers were weaker than his.

I ran a hand down my face. If I had to create a circuit, I would create a circuit. What if I worked like those substations? High voltage electricity arced. It was as simple as that. So if I increased the voltage, maybe it would arc towards the pole.

I stood up again and focused my electricity into my palm, holding the voltage steady. I then approached the pole. When I was one pace away, it arced with the high pitched electrical buzz I knew and loved. I stopped the flow with a sigh. That seemed to only work at point blank range. That was just stupid. I powered up the voltage again, taking a step back. It didn't arc, so I upped the voltage. It arced. I took another step back and repeated the process. By the time I was four paces away, I was gunning that energy off so much that I actually collapsed and nearly passed out. Breathing heavily, I realized with an irritated sigh that this wasn't working very well. Maybe I needed to know more about what causes electricity to arc. To do that, I needed to find my way into another library somewhere.

I shook my head and stood up again. I wasn't going anywhere until I could shoot lightning from my hand. The way dad did it made me think of static. It was a quick, sharp electrical discharge. I raised my hand towards the pole, and focused a quick burst of energy to my hand. I heard a sharp _crack_ as a small bolt of lightning shot from my fingertips. I smiled at the discharge. I didn't think it hit the pole, so I did it again. The electricity cracked again as it shot into the air. I stood there for several minutes, just shooting lightning from my hand. Eventually I started hitting the pole, leaving scorch marks on the metal. I was about ten paces away too. I thought that was an accomplishment. I yanked the pole out of the ground and tossed it away like a spear. Of course, it totally flipped over, not making that pretty arc that javelin throwers made in the Olympic games.

I brushed my hands off on my pants and grabbed my bike again. It was time to continue to Philadelphia.


	8. Chapter 8: Secrets Revealed

Threat to Society

Chapter 8: Secrets Revealed

As I travelled to Philadelphia, I ran into more and more substations. I used those to further increase my power level to varying degrees of success. The biggest success was my ability to create an electromagnet. All I had to do was hold onto a piece of metal and run a charge through it and hey presto, I was pulling metal towards me. It was pretty sweet. As I rode my bike down the highway, I was running a current through it, picking up coins as I went. I had gathered at least ten dollars in coins from a week of doing this. It wasn't much, but it was an accomplishment.

When I stopped again that night, I continued to practice with my powers. I decided to give something else a try. I knew that the ground in substations were electrically charged, so I wondered if I could do the same thing. I stood on the ground with my feet apart, running a current down one of my legs. I felt it go into the ground. To stop myself from using up all of my electricity, I created a circuit with my other leg, drawing the electricity back up inside me. I knew it had worked because a squirrel decided to jump onto the ground a few feet in front of me. It squeaked as the electrical charge fried it in a second. My heart nearly stopped. I stopped the charge and walked to the poor creature with a sigh. I hadn't meant to kill it, but now I knew. My power was dangerous. It was no wonder the government took Cole. I didn't blame them one bit.

...

When I finally crested a large hill, a smile slid across my features. I could see Philadelphia's infrastructure off in the distance, just waiting for me. Cars were becoming more and more frequent as I travelled. I began to feel jealous of the people inside them. My legs were like rocks after all of that biking, and I kind of wished I could be in a car for once.

I had gotten closer to Philadelphia, but I knew I was still at least a day away. I parked my bike in a suburban area and found myself a small forest. I was grateful for that at least. I knew I couldn't practice with my powers here, but I went looking for a substation anyway. I loved how they seemed to get larger and larger as I approached the city. This one was the biggest substation yet. I didn't hesitate to leap inside and absorb the power.

The sirens came next, probably because I had caused some kind of power surge. Either way, I knew I had to get out of there and fast. Without thinking about it, I grabbed onto one of the wires. A second later, I was flying. I zipped along the wire like it was nothing. I was made of electricity and I was using the wires to travel. When I let go, I tried to find my way back to my bike. Luckily for me, that wasn't too hard. I could still hear the sirens wailing but I no longer cared. My powers were just getting better and better.

...

I arrived in Philadelphia around noon the next day. The bustling urban environment was crowded and cars clogged the streets. It was very unlike Empire City where it was so small, everyone usually walked to where they were going. I found myself slipping between cars and sidewalks on my bike, moving much slower than I was before. Perhaps I should've started walking my bike. If I had, I wonder if it would've happened.

I rode out into the street and a second later, I heard a screech of tires. I cried out as the car crushed my leg against my bike and launched me into the intersection. I rolled, scraping my face off the pavement as I came to a stop. The pain overwhelmed me. I could feel blood oozing from my cheek, and my leg throbbed with every heartbeat. People were screaming and crying as I lay on the pavement, trying to figure out what had just happened. I turned my head, seeing my bike bent and broken beneath the car that had hit me. I could feel the skin on my cheek tightening. I wasn't stupid. I knew that feeling. I was healing at my insanely rapid rate. If these people saw it, my cover would be blown.

I rolled over and got to my feet, groaning at the pain in my leg. The crowd was dead silent as I limped off as quickly as I could, heading for an alleyway. I didn't want their help. I didn't need their help.

I squeezed my way between two buildings and headed around the back. I fell to the ground whimpering in pain. I spotted one of those electrical boxes that provided electricity to the building and stood up once more. I placed my hand on it, feeling the electricity running through it. I absorbed it, feeling the pain going away. My leg stopped throbbing, and it no longer hurt to breathe. I smiled to myself.

"You're a freak!"

I froze and turned very slowly. A few people had followed me into the alleyway. Why hadn't I seen that coming? Now they knew I wasn't normal. Now they knew about my powers, which is exactly what my father wouldn't have wanted. Now I had a choice: run for it, or act like I had no idea what they were talking about.

I ran for it.

My bike hardened legs carried me faster than I had ever ran before. I tore through the streets, leaping over trashcans and basically executing the mother of all parkour routines. Nobody followed me, but they sure got out of my way. I ran, and I ran, eventually escaping the confines of the city and stumbling out into suburban Philadelphia. I breathed heavily, wondering what I could do next. My bike was road kill, and now I had no method of transportation.

Foolish. Yes I did. The electrical wires. I shoved the thought away quickly. I couldn't use electrical wires. That would blow my cover faster than I could say 'You're hallucinating'.

...

The story of me getting hit by a car made it into the news. Just by reading the closed captioning on a tv outside an electronics store, I knew I was done for. Now the whole of Philadelphia knew what had happened to me. They knew there was some freak kid who was in what should've been a lethal accident but lived to run away in the city. As I continued to read the closed captioning, my heart stopped. Witnesses were reporting my electrical powers.

"I'm so sorry, dad..." I whispered. Then I ran from the area before anyone could recognize me. They didn't have my picture up, but I wasn't taking any chances. I wandered my way into an alley and sat down against the wall. I sulked to myself, wondering what to do next. I didn't have my bike, and I couldn't wire travel, so what could I do?

...

I stayed in Philadelphia for a few more days. The car accident story hung on the news almost constantly. By the third day, they had surveillance footage of the entire accident, including when I stood up and limped off. As I watched, someone next to me did a double take. I realized why a second later. I hadn't changed my clothes for weeks. I was still wearing the same clothes as I'd been wearing that day.

Before that person could say anything, I turned and walked away, hoping I wasn't recognized, though I had a feeling I was.

...

My break came when I found an abandoned skateboard on the side of the road. I glanced around and quickly snapped it up, getting out of the area as fast as I could. I could use the board to travel from now on. It would be easier than walking, and more natural than biking.

When I was a few blocks away, I set the board down and began riding. I felt bad for stealing it, but it no longer mattered. I needed it more than the real owner did, and frankly, I didn't care. Skateboards were stolen all the time.

I rode out of Philadelphia at a much slower rate than my bike. I missed the two wheeled vehicle, but there was nothing I could do about it. Whenever I needed a speed boost, I would grab onto the back of a car and ride off. Sometimes people glared at me from the rear-view mirror, but I simply smiled at them. Sometimes they even pulled over and asked why I was grabbing onto their car. I would usually tell them that I needed to get somewhere and I needed a boost. Most of the time however, nobody did anything and I went as fast as I did on my bike.

It was on the third day of pulling these stupid stunts that my real break came. I grabbed onto the back of a pickup truck and let the driver tow me a few feet. We made eye contact in the mirror. I saw the driver shake his head and he began to pull over. I sulked to myself.

The driver got out of his car.

"What do you think you're doing eh?"

"Hitching a ride?" I asked innocently.

"You can't just grab onto the backs of people's cars, kid."

"I have somewhere I need to go."

"Oh yeah? Where are you heading?"

"Washington. Er, the city, not the state." I said.

"That's a long way away. And you're making the trip on a skateboard?"

I shrugged. "I have no other way of getting there."

The man contemplated this for a moment. Then he nodded. "Well lucky for you boy, I'm headed to Washington too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Hop in. I'll give you a lift." He turned and headed back towards the cab. Me? I stood there, my eyes wide. I couldn't sit in cars.

"What's wrong kid?" The driver asked.

"Ah...I don't do cars..." I stated nervously.

"Eh?"

"That's...er...why I'm using a skateboard..." I scratched my head sheepishly. "I...er...I'm claustrophobic..." Brilliant, Toby. Claustrophobic. That's the best lie yet.

The man laughed. "I see! Well, hop in the back then. Just keep your head low. Don't want the fuzz seeing you."

I grinned and leapt in the back of the truck. I heard the man chuckle again, and I heard the truck start up. I covered myself with a piece of tarp and sighed with contentment. Now I was getting somewhere.

"I'm coming, dad..." I sighed. "Just a few more hours. I'll be there." I thought about plotting how I would save my dad, but sleep took me before I could get any thoughts together.

...

I dreamed of my parents as I slept. Cole didn't have electric powers. We were just a normal, happy family.

I was woken up when the truck engine turned off. I opened my eyes and pushed the tarp aside.

"Kid? You up?"

"Yeah..." I said, rubbing my eyes.

"We're here."

I crawled from the back of the truck and looked around. Yup. This was Washington all right.

"So, what are you planning on doing in Washington, kid?"

"I'm looking for my dad." I stated. "And this is the place I decided to start."

The man looked very confused but shrugged. "Carry on then. I hope you find him."

I nodded. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem."

I headed off, looking around at the infrastructure. I could see the Lincoln Memorial off in the distance. I decided to start my search there. I'd always wanted to see the memorial, though I was disappointed by the fact that it had to be under these circumstances.

I headed towards the giant obelisk, tossing my skateboard on the ground and grinding off.


	9. Chapter 9: The White House

Threat to Society

Chapter 9: The White House

I found the White House before I had even gotten close to the Lincoln Monument. I stood in the beautiful gardens of Lafayette Park, gazing at the pure white building. I found myself getting progressively angrier as I stared at it. A fountain bubbled merrily in the White House's yard. People stood getting their pictures taken in front of the building, not realizing that all I really wanted to do was break into it and find the president. I wanted my father. That's what I wanted to do. But I didn't know how I would do it.

I sat on a bench and death glared the building, probably looking like a homeless terrorist. People were giving me sideways glances. My hair felt like a mess and it was shaggier than normal. A piece of it kept falling over my eyes, but I put up with it. Mom had never let me have long hair, though I'd always thought having a ponytail would be cool. Plus having longish hair would be a great contrast to my bald father.

What could I do? I realized that now that I was here, I had no idea what I was doing. What if dad wasn't here? What if I couldn't get into the White House and was killed in the process? What if I was captured too? I shook my head. None of that mattered anymore. First things first though. I should find another substation and get more power.

I stood up and tossed my skateboard on the ground, skidding off for another power upgrade.

…

The substation was a piece of cake to find, even in the middle of the night. There were so many in the city, that finding one was easier than taking candy from a baby, and I know that's next to impossible. Night had fallen, so I leapt over the fence and into the substation, holding the electricity back as I did so. I had picked one in an out of the way area, but the substation was still large.

I leapt on top of the station, grabbed the coils and let the power surge through me. The power hit me hard, and I yelped in surprise. It was like the day I had crashed into the substation. It was the same feeling that took my breath away.

I let go quickly and took off, seeing the lights in the neighbourhood flicker back on as I ran. That was a mistake. It was a very, very bad idea to go to the substation. I knew for sure that the FBI and the president knew I was here. This was the end.

I hid in an alleyway and ducked behind a cardboard box. The energy was still rushing through me. My heart was racing and I couldn't breathe. I fell to the ground and curled into a ball, feeling the power wanting nothing more than to rush out of me. This was bad. Really bad. I could feel it building up, wanting to explode.

I had to get out of here.

I leapt up and ran for it. My only instinct was to run. Run far, far away. I held my electricity inside of me, feeling it burning and raging through me. I climbed a telephone pole, leapt onto a wire and skidded away as fast as I could. I kept my eyes open, watching and making sure I was out of city boundaries before I leapt off the wire. I was in the middle of a field and I could no longer take it.

I screamed as the electricity burst out of me like a shockwave. It was like having a circuit overload. The air crackled with energy as I collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. I rolled over, staring up at the moon above my head and the world faded to black.

...

When I opened my eyes again, it was to sunlight streaming down onto my face. The air smelled of ozone and I think I was sunburned. As I sat up, my eyes widened. I was lying in the center of a massive crater. I thought about the explosion. I knew I'd caused this destruction. Smoke still filtered up from several small grass fires around the rim.

I slowly climbed the edge of the crater, looking around in shock. There was no debris from it. It seemed as if my power had vaporized the entire area and left it there. My power did this. Mine. I had lost control, and this is what happened. The scary part was that I knew exactly how to replicate that attack and do it all over again. I knew at that moment that my power was dangerous. My father may not be a threat to society, but I was.

I turned and headed back towards the city, putting as much distance between myself and that crater as I could. I felt strangely numb, yet energized as I walked through the city. It felt like I had reached my peak capacity for this power of mine. I knew I could use it to its full potential now. I didn't know whether that worried me, or excited me. Either way, there was no going back now that these powers had developed.

I caught my reflection in a storefront window. I stopped and stared, not wanting to believe what I was seeing. My normally stormy grey eyes were flecked with electric blue. My heart raced as I stared at my dirt covered, sunburned skin. My hair was a mess, and my clothes were singed in places from electrical discharges. I was a sight to behold. I had changed in the last few weeks, whether for better or worse, I'm not really sure.

"FREEZE!"

I froze, turning towards the voice. I saw three people holding guns staring straight at me, their barrels trained on my chest. I saw the letters FBI on their chest. I knew at that moment that these people knew who I was, and I knew their intentions were the same as when they'd taken my father.

My mind reeled. I could take these bullets. I was a conduit. I could kill them right now. I was strong enough. Electricity pulsed through my body like blood. I could kill them and break into the White House and get my father back. It would be so easy now that I had my power. I looked down at my hand, faintly seeing several sparks flicker from my fingertips. For a split second, I swear the sparks turned red. Bright, crimson, blood red.

My eyes turned back towards the FBI agents. Or I could surrender and take whatever they threw at me. I knew at that moment that the choice I made would determine how I lived my life from now on. This was the climax of having these powers. If I chose to fight back and get my father back, that would lead me in one direction. If I chose to surrender, I'd probably end up in a zoo. And I'd never see my father again. Morally, I knew what the right answer was. But in my heart, I wanted to see my father again.

The emotion took over me and sparks flew from my fingertips, alternating between red and blue. What did the red mean? The FBI pulled back the hammers on their guns. I locked my eyes on them.

"Where's Cole MacGrath?" I asked straight up. "I've come for him."

The FBI didn't respond.

"Please...Where is he?" I whispered, feeling tears burning their way to my eyes. My electricity stopped sparking. "I want to see him again...Please..." I bowed my head, burning tears falling down my face and dripping onto the concrete.

I felt a hand on my back. I flinched as a second one grabbed my wrist. I looked up to see an FBI agent. I knew he wanted to cuff me.

"I'll go." I whispered. "Please, just let me see my father. He's a good person. He's never hurt anyone. Why did you take him?"

I was put in handcuffs. I knew they were useless. I could break out of them easily if I chose to. But I didn't. I knew what the right thing to do was as they led me to a car. I paled.

"Uh, I can't sit in cars..." I said slowly. "They...uh...explode."

The FBI agent raised his eyebrow. He put me in the car anyway. I squeezed the electricity still running through me in a tight ball in my chest. It took all of my focus to keep it there, but I managed to sit in the car without blowing it up. The tension in my body was visible, and my muscles ached with the effort.

"We have the boy in custody." One of the agents said into his walkie-talkie. "We're bringing him to you."

I was driven through the streets of Washington D.C. I was too focused on not exploding the car to admire the view. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back sobs. I could feel tears running down my face.

_I'm so sorry, dad..._ I thought to myself. _I'm a failure..._

The car rumbled to a stop and the FBI pulled me out of the car. I was still in handcuffs as I was lead around corner after corner. Eventually, I began to realize how ornate the carpets were. I looked up curiously.

"Head down." One of the agents ordered.

I put my head down willingly, keeping my eyes on the carpet. We stopped walking after several more turns down hallways. Finally, we stood in front of a pair of ornate doors. My eyes widened. There was no way. I couldn't be _here_ could I?

The agents knocked on the door.

"Enter." A voice stated.

The door opened and I was lead inside. I gasped. Sitting behind the desk was the President of the United States.

Beside him was my father.

He didn't look happy to see me.

Cole MacGrath's expression was neutral, not betraying anything, however as he scanned me with blue-grey eyes so much like my own, I could detect several emotions. I saw sadness, anger and disappointment. We stared at each other. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't come up with anything. I was so happy to see him, but the sight of his expressions kept me at bay. I felt as if I wanted to cry again.

The President cleared his throat. "Welcome, Toby."

My eyes snapped to the President. How did he know my name?

"We know who you are. There are no secrets in this room." He stated.

"S-So you know...?"

"We know that Cole MacGrath is your father, and we know about your powers."

"B-But, dad, you told me not to-"

"That was before you came after me, Toby." Dad said with a sigh. He looked towards the President. "Maybe you should explain things. From the beginning."

The President nodded, turning his gaze back to me. "You know about the Blast in Empire City?"

I nodded. Who hadn't?

"Rumours leaked about a super human living within the city. Originally we dismissed it as garbage, however after the quarantine was lowered, we soon discovered Cole MacGrath's powers.

"Naturally, at the time I was concerned for the country. So I wanted him captured and detained for public safety. Unfortunately, Cole took off, running around the country for sixteen years. Many of us took that as good reason he was dangerous. However, I began to speculate that perhaps he wasn't quite so dangerous, because he hadn't been causing destruction in his wake. So instead of capturing and locking him up, I merely wanted to negotiate with him. Unfortunately, he continued to run.

"You know that we tracked Cole back to Empire City, and there we captured him. However, afterwards, reports from Empire City told us that a young boy named Toby Andrews had disappeared after his mother's tragic death."

"You killed her!" I cried in fury. I looked at my father. "Dad, she died when they shot you!"

Cole's face fell in sadness. "I know." He whispered.

Before I could respond, the president continued.

"At the time, we had no idea that Toby Andrews was Cole's son. We took Cole in for questioning, and psychoanalysis and determined that he was not a threat to the United States. We were going to release him that day, however more disturbing news came, this time from Philadelphia."

I felt myself go cold.

"We received a report about a young boy who was hit by a car in what should've been a fatal accident, and somehow he lived, not only to tell the tale, but to walk off. Even more disturbing was the rumours that this boy had electrical powers."

"They showed me the footage, Toby." My dad stated. "I told them who you were."

"But...why?" I whispered.

"Because I was afraid." My dad stated, pain creasing his features. "I thought if you were coming after me, you'd do something dangerous." He sighed and crossed his arms across his chest. "I had the option of going after you, or remaining here. I chose to wait, seeing as now that you'd lost your bike it would've taken you much longer to get here." He raised his eyebrows. "That wasn't the case. How did you get here so quickly?"

"Hitchhiked." I stated.

The few people in the room chuckled, including the President.

"Well you have to admire his creativity." He chuckled.

"We were tipped off that you were here by that power surge. It knocked out power for twenty seconds. Afterwards, there were rumours of a small explosion in a field just outside the city." Dad stated.

"So I sent out the FBI to detain you and bring you here." The President laced his fingers together. "Now, what were your intentions once you got here?"

"I didn't know." I lied, not wanting to mention my plot to break into the White House. "All I knew was that I wanted my dad back."

"And you would've, had you stayed home and not come after me." Dad stated.

"I didn't know!" I cried. "How was I supposed to know you'd be back?! I was alone, dad! They killed mom! I didn't know what else to do!" Tears ran down my cheeks as I sobbed towards the floor. Pride no longer mattered. That was long gone. Electricity sparked from my clenched hands. I felt so cheated and upset that I couldn't bring myself to stop the electricity.

A hand grabbed mine. I knew it was my father's hand.

"Toby... What did you do?" he whispered.

I opened my eyes, looking up at him, seeing him staring at the electricity sparking across my hands. It was still dancing between blue and red. As if it were trying to make up its mind.

Then it clicked.

Just like me. I didn't know what the red meant, but I had a feeling it wasn't good. In my mind, I was playing with the ideas of either getting angry and killing everyone in sight, or accepting and taking whatever comes.

Dad dragged me into an adjacent room and sat me in a chair. He stared sharply at me. I felt myself shaking, wondering if I would get into trouble.

"Toby, why is your lightning turning red?"

"I-I don't know." I whispered.

"Tell me now: what were you planning on doing?"

I bowed my head and trembled. I knew I couldn't lie to him. He'd see right through me.

"I-I was going to break you out if I had to..." I whispered.

Cole sighed. "Toby...you know that's not right."

"I didn't care, dad!" I hissed. "They killed mom!"

"Toby-"

"Don't you say anything!" I cried. "You would've done the same for me, and you know it!"

Dad opened his mouth to say something else, then closed it immediately, his head turning towards the floor.

"Yeah. You're right." He sighed. Then he looked up at me. "Did anything else happen along the way?"

I shook my head. "What does the red lightning mean?"

He sighed and scratched the top of his head. "The last time I saw red lightning was on an alter ego of myself while rescuing Empire City. He was evil. Pure evil. I suppose the red symbolizes bad choices you've made."

"But I didn't go through with it."

"You were going to, right?"

"I…thought about it." I hung my head in shame.

Dad sighed and stood up straight. "I suppose you've reached a turning point. Unfortunately, you weren't able to make the choice for yourself."

"Huh?" I looked up at him curiously.

"When the time comes, you may have to make difficult choices. Those choices will decide your life."

"You had to make one?"

"Several." He said, his face darkening with past haunts. "I'll tell you about them later."

I nodded.

"For now," he smiled. "I think we have to negotiate our ticket back home."


	10. Chapter 10: Returning Home

Threat to Society

Chapter 10: Returning Home

The President let us go. He arranged an escort back to Empire City. We had to sit in the back of the truck where it was lined with rubber so we didn't explode the thing. Luckily for us, there were windows we could open so it wouldn't be too stuffy.

Dad told me about what happened in Empire City. In great detail. He told me about the Reapers, and Sasha. He told me about Alden, the Dust Men, Kessler and the First Sons. He told me about his best friend Zeke's betrayal, John and Moya of the FBI. He even told me about Trish and how he had to make that sacrifice for the sake of the city. He had tears in his eyes at some of the parts which told me that the events in the city impacted him more than he let on.

I learned how he met my mom, and how she was trying to rebuild the city through a garden. His story fascinated me, and I realized I had never known my father until this day.

When he asked me what happened in the sixteen years he was away, I couldn't really explain much. As I thought about my life, I realized how completely ridiculous it was compared to Cole's. My problems, getting decent grades, getting a job, all of that fun teenager stuff, paled in comparison to what my father went through in Empire City. I felt like a whiny child thinking about how much I hated doing chores on a regular basis.

I shook my head. "I have nothing."

"Just come up with memories." Dad said with a grin. "Things you remember."

"Well I remember spraying my eighth grade teacher with silly string on his birthday." I laughed.

Dad laughed. "Oh so you got up to mischief too eh?"

I grinned. "Yeah. Mike and I were misfits."

"Zeke and I were the same." Dad stated. "But it was Zeke that pulled the stunts. I was just there."

"What was the worst thing you did?"

"Uh, I'm not going to give you any ideas."

"Was it that bad?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Yeah, we got suspended for three days."

"Whoa." Then I grinned. "So you were a rebel too?"

"Yeah. My marks sucked. How are yours?"

"Fine I guess." Then I laughed. "I'm passing."

"No Toby, _I_ was passing." He leaned back against the wall of the truck. "If you're over 70, you're fine."

"So what? You were scraping 60's?"

"Low 50's."

"What?! Mom would kill me if I had marks like that!"

Dad chuckled. "Mine practically did. I dropped out in grade 11 and ran away from home. Trish made me go back to school." He shrugged. "Either way, I had gotten so used to that bike messenger job that I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else."

"And now you're a hero." I stated.

Dad laughed. "Yeah. Now I'm a hero."

...

We got dropped off just outside Empire City on the bridge. Dad put up his hood as he stepped out into sunlight. He took a deep breath of the stagnant air through his nose and coughed.

"Wow." He wiped his nose. "City air. Yay."

I burst out laughing. "Trying to smell home?"

"Yeah. I forgot how bad city air was." He glanced at me. "So, shall we walk?"

We walked casually into the city. I flipped my hair out of my face in irritation. Time for a haircut.

"Oh my god..." Someone gasped. "It's him! It's Toby Andrews!"

People swarmed us, slapping me on the back and looking towards my hooded companion. I looked up at my dad to see him with a smile on his face. I could only imagine what he was planning to do.

He did the unthinkable. He reached up and lowered his hood.

The effect was instantaneous. The crowd went dead silent as they took in the face of their hero. Smiles of relief faded to straight faces of shock and disbelief. Eyes widened. Then the smiles returned, more overjoyed than before.

"IT'S COLE!" Someone screamed.

The crowd freaked out and converged on my dad. I laughed and leapt away from the crowd, watching him get bombarded. People hoisted him onto their shoulders and cheered.

"WAIT!" Dad called. He turned towards me and held his hand out.

I laughed and ran forward.

"Toby?" A few people looked at him curiously.

"He's my son." Dad said proudly.

I couldn't help it. A sense of pride washed through me. It was the first time he'd ever publicly acknowledged me. Ever. It felt good. Like I had family.

Dad held up his hand and let sparks fly across his fingertips.

I grinned and held up my own, letting mine do the same. Stunned silence ensued once more, then more cheers. I was hoisted up beside my dad and the people paraded through the streets, cheering, whooping and sobbing.

"Is this a normal part of your life?" I asked dad.

Dad grinned. "Well yeah. Sometimes. It happened after I got out of the hospital after nearly dying too."

"Wow. These people love you."

"They'll love you to, if you use your power to help them."

I nodded, although I had no idea when my dad became a user of deep logic. He was acting more like Yoda than my father.

Eventually, we were put back down on the ground, but that didn't stop everyone from celebrating the return of their hero. I sat off to the side nervously, wondering what to do about all of this attention. I didn't really like it. It was way too much. I was famous without knowing I was famous. My dad? Well, he was clearly infamous in this city. Who knows? Maybe I was too.

"Toby?"

I turned my head, my heart doing a double thump. It was Taylor, Mike's sister. As always, she was stunningly pretty. Her blonde hair looked as silky as ever, and her dark eyes made my heart stutter. She wore makeup, yes, but I felt as if it enhanced her natural features. She was stunning. I'd never told Mike I'd had a crush on his sister. I'd been afraid he'd ream me for it, and he probably would've. She was a year younger than me, but I'd had a crush on her for two years now though she never seemed to notice me. Seeing her face now of all times, and having her actually speak to me... It was nearly too much for me to handle.

Taylor looked towards my dad who was smiling at his admirers. "So he's your dad, huh? Cole MacGrath?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He's my dad."

"That's pretty cool, you know."

"You think so?" My heart hammered in my chest.

Taylor nodded. "Your father's a big hero. And you are too, right? You have powers like him?"

"Yeah." I held up my hand and let the electricity spark.

Taylor's eyes widened. "Wow... That's... That's amazing..."

I ran a hand through my hair nervously.

Dad finally broke away from the crowd and walked towards me.

"Toby, ready to go?"

I nodded.

"Who's this?" He asked, his eyes focusing on Taylor.

"This is Taylor." I stated.

Taylor waggled her fingers at my dad, smiling slightly.

"Nice to meet you." Dad said before ducking into an alley out of sight. I followed him and the both of us melted into the shadows to escape the crowds.

...

We arrived back at the house later that day. Everything was dusty, so we had a cleaning frenzy. Dad used a neat trick with static so all he had to do was hold his hands over the furniture and he got all of the dust off in a few seconds. I tried it and it worked even better than dusters, and was ten times faster. Shame there wasn't a way to make dishes clean themselves.

"I'm guessing you like that girl?" Dad asked later that night after we feasted on cans of soup.

I felt myself flush. "W-Well yeah..."

Dad leaned back in his chair. He looked slightly uneasy as he thought about something.

"Oh god, please don't give me the birds and the bees talk."

He burst out laughing. I'd never seen him laugh so hard in my life. He was doubled over, his face nearly smacking into the table.

"I was just saying! Mom gave that to me enough!"

Dad controlled himself and sighed in relief. "Wow, that felt good." He was still grinning.

"What? Laughing?"

He nodded. "It's been awhile since I could laugh like that."

I grinned. "Well that's awesome."

Dad sighed, a smile still on his face.

I set my empty bowl on the table. "So, Alden and Sasha are still unaccounted for, huh?"

Dad nodded. "Yeah. I'm wondering if I'll ever meet them again." He ran a hand over his bald head. "To be honest, I hope I don't. But at the same time, if I do, well... It's just another opportunity to rid the world of evil."

"You really are a hero, aren't you?" I laughed.

Dad shrugged. "Maybe so. But someday, you'll be a hero too." He reached over and messed up my hair.

I laughed and swatted his hand away.

"You need a haircut, kiddo." Dad grinned.

"Yeah. I know."

"I'm thinking buzz cut."

"NO!" I cried in horror, grabbing my hair. "I like my hair!"

Dad was laughing again. "I'm kidding, Toby."

"You'd better be." I smiled. "It's good to have you back."

Dad heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah." His eyes were distant. I had a feeling he was thinking about mom. I looked away for a moment, wondering whether he was going to be all right.

Dad leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "I guess the question now is...what are we going to do now?"

I glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"Do we move on with life?" He sighed.

I shrugged. "I suppose so. A new school year starts soon, so I'll have to go back to school." I sighed. "Hell of a lot of fun that will be..."

"Stay in school, Toby." Dad said sharply.

"I am." I stated. "I was talking about the teachers and students. The teachers will probably use me as a walking science experiment, and the students will think I'm a freak."

"Toby, don't say that."

"It's probably true, dad."

Dad looked away, considering this statement. From his story, I knew he'd been called a terrorist, and he'd been called a freak of nature at first. But afterwards, he'd earned the respect of the people, and now they loved him. Me? Because of my dad's reputation, I had a reputation of my own. People looked up to me because I was the son of Cole MacGrath. They expected me to be just like him. They idolized me. And because of that, I could see others my age being resentful and angry about it.

"I suppose I'll figure it out when the time comes." I sighed, standing up and dropping the bowl in the sink, throwing on a pair of rubber gloves to clean it up.

"Either way, life's going to get more difficult for you now." Dad stated. "It did for me. Just remember, I'll be here no matter what."

I smiled at him. "After sixteen years?"

Dad laughed. "Yes. I'm here to stay now."

I grinned.

He sighed. "I just wish your mother was still here. Then we could be a family again."

I sighed and looked at the floor. "Yeah. I miss her too."

And silence filled the kitchen as we thought about what we'd all lost, and what we'd all gained.


End file.
